


Downright Neighborly

by TheRoarOfAtlas



Category: Professional Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, It's good to be back, WrestleMania, as kayfabe compliant as I could manage, because we missed them, decay or delete, eldritch horror!Willow, imagine having these buffoons as neighbors, in all of time and space, reader has female body parts, reader has had enough of their shit, the final deletion, the hardy boyz - Freeform, thirst party saturday, this got so long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-25 10:58:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10762863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoarOfAtlas/pseuds/TheRoarOfAtlas
Summary: After enduring the incessant lawn care, the violin at night and the faux-Elizabethan speech for nearly a year, you were pretty sure losing your mind was the best outcome.[x-posted to Tumblr]Enjoy!





	1. The Garden Grows

Really, the fireworks and bonfire were the last straw. You were well aware that whatever was going on in the Hardy households had probably reached an unhealthy level of theatrics ages ago, but the _fireworks_ …

 

You prided yourself on being a decent neighbor. You kept your small yard tidy, you stayed quiet and you didn’t have any pets. You knew you ought to have been more wary when signing the papers for the place. It seemed so perfect, something _had_ to be wrong.

 

It turned out that it wasn’t the house _you_ were living in, but the ones on either side of you that were the problem. You had inadvertently ended up in the middle of some kind of _incredibly_ elaborate turf war between two brothers from what you could gather. The older one, Matt, seemed flat-out certifiable, while the younger of the two, Jeff, struck you as an… _eccentric_ individual. Of course you’d only caught bare glimpses of Jeff through the trees as he whipped along on his dirt bike, while Matt tended to be in the town grocery store (where you worked in the produce department) every other day for the needs of his young son, Maxel. Usually with his wife in tow.

 

More than once the yelling through the woods that surrounded your property kept you up at night, you couldn’t make out the words but the noises were nightmarish at times. And who played a violin that late at night? _Outside?_

 

The fireworks and the bonfire though, were the things that had you steamed. Heck, when you’d seen the SUV toting the older brother’s wife and small child go blitzing by you figured you might be able to get some peace and quiet. But no! Lawn mower sounds, that silly little drone of Matt’s buzzing around, Jeff’s dirt bike and _more_ awful violin playing plagued the rest of your day. You were pretty sure you were losing your mind when you realized that there was a _massive_ fire shining through the trees. Despite your irritation you worried that maybe one of them had lit the house on fire or something equally idiotic. So you tucked your phone in your pocket, closed your door behind you and crept along to the edge of the property line.

 

The fire was _very_ large, but it didn’t look like it had gotten out of control. Yet. There was a huge, odd-looking symbol made out of wood that was fully involved, a pile of dirt at the base of it. And laying in that pile of dirt was what appeared to be a bundle of clothes. What on _earth_ was going on here?

 

You pulled your phone out of your pocket and quickly snapped a picture of the large burning structure…effigy… _thing_. Maybe _now_ the police might take your claims seriously.

 

Oh no. The bundle of clothes _moved_ , it was a _person_ , dragging themselves away from the embers that had started falling off the symbol.

 

You bolted forward without a second thought, leaving the relative safety of the treeline to sprint across the lawn. The heat from the fire was _insane_ up close. You quickly ducked to drape the person’s arm over your shoulder and then did your best to half-walk, half-run back to the trees where you would be safe.

 

“ _Brother Nero!_ ” The call came, accompanied by more terrible violin.

 

The person with their arm over your shoulder shuddered. “Put me down, he’ll get you too.” It was Jeff, eyes rolling back in his head even while he spoke.

 

“ _Fuck_ no man, I’m getting you out of here.” You grunted, shifting more of his weight onto you.

 

“That’s…that’s real kind a’ you, but I don’t think it’s gonna’ work.” Jeff murmured. “Real kind though.”

 

“Just be quiet. Almost there.” You promised, worry flooding your body. _What the hell is going on here?_

 

You had never been more relieved to see your house, but your heart sank as you realized that you _hadn’t_ left lights on. Or the front door open. “He’s already here.” Jeff whispered, gripping his side and wincing. “Just leave me man, you’re gonna’--”

 

“ _Shut_ up.” You hissed, all-but dragging him along by his neon yellow belt at this point. You circled around to the back of the property where there was a massive rhododendron bush. “Hide. Don’t make any noise. I’ll be back for you.” You ordered curtly, mind racing as you tried to figure out a good reason for you to be outside at this hour, especially since you were now _filthy_. Your garden, maybe?

 

You snagged a few tomatoes from the vines as you passed by, ripped some chives out of your grow beds. _Hopefully_.

 

You whistled at random as you closed the front door behind you, just waiting for the second when the crazy bullshit would strike. Someone grabbed your shoulder and spun you around before you could lock the door and you squeaked in surprise as you came face to face with the older Hardy. Matt, with the white shock-streak in his hair and his odd manner of speech, was always miles more unsettling than his younger brother.

 

“I knew you’d come.” He said finally after a minute of silence had gone by.

 

“It _is_ my house.” You pointed out, warily eyeing the white drone that hovered by his shoulder. “I live here. Kind of makes sense that I’d come home.”

 

“Silence! I love it when you _ramble_ , but I’m here on an _important_ business and I won’t be denied. _Where_ is Brother Nero?”

 

You blinked several times. “Who?”

 

Fingers wrapped around your throat and Matt slammed your back to the door, his face twisted in fury. “You little fool, _Nero_ is not obsolete yet! Jeffrey is, there is no _Jeffrey_ anymore. And I will use Nero as my _mule_ , the belligerent _spot-monkey_ retrained in a most _excellent_ manner.” Matt snarled, his words making absolutely no sense as his hand tightened around your neck. “ _Where_. _Is. Nero?_ ”

 

You shrugged as best you could, wheezing in a breath. One of your tomatoes dropped to the floor and bumped Matt’s shoe. He glanced down and immediately released you. “Ah, that’s…look at the _shade_ on that.” He said quietly, almost like he was talking to himself. He picked up the tomato and turned it back and forth. He was… _admiring_ it? “Do you grow your own? I tried to have Senor Benjamin start a garden but he’s much better suited for preparing the battlefield… _massacre_ , you understand of course.” With you watching wide-eyed in confusion Matt proceeded to take a hearty bite out of the tomato. “Mm, _delightful_.”

 

“Not to seem like I’m trying to _upstage_ you or anything, man, but why _are_ you in my house?” You finally asked after several minutes of Matt noisily enjoying the dark purple fruit.

 

“Oh! I’ve completely lost my train of thought. This really is an extraordinary specimen, you’ve done well.” He praised, patting your shoulder and making his way outside. The drone buzzed uncertainly in the air where he had stood a moment ago. “Come _along_ , Vanguard One!” Matt sounded almost like he was _scolding_ the thing. Vanguard One (why on earth had he _named_ the drone?) shot out the door after him, emitting a shrill tone.

 

_Guess I’ll add breaking and entering to the list of crazy shit I’ve dealt with since moving here_. You dropped the two remaining tomatoes and handful of chives onto the kitchen counter, sighing. _Why me, really? What the heck did I do to deserve this crap?_ A floorboard creaked behind you and you straightened up. “Matt, if I have to call the pol-”

 

A hand covered your mouth while your arm was trapped behind you and you were forcibly dragged out of your kitchen and into the hallway. “Vanguard’s comin’ back. Be still.” That was Jeff’s voice, his breath tickling your neck as he spoke calmly and slowly. “It’s got thermal imagin’. Not the best shit so hopefully if we keep together it’ll jus’ think it’s seein’ you. M’ sorry, should have stayed in that bush but I didn’t know what he was gonna’ do to you.” He removed his hand from your mouth but kept his tight grip on your arm.

 

“Oh yeah, I’m sure your crazy brother would think twice about strangling me if _you_ made an appearance.” You snapped.

 

“Doesn’t have to be me in the driver’s seat, he still shits himself when Willow shows up.” Jeff muttered cryptically, then went stiff. “Shh, hang on. _Listen_.” He whispered. You heard the low whine of the drone. A bright light shone into the kitchen window and Jeff eased you further back in the hallway. “D’ya have a bathtub?” He asked, swearing when you cocked your head in confusion. “The ceramic fucks with its thermal, makes it easier to hide.” He explained in a rush.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that ‘bathtub to hide from drone in’ was on the list of must-haves when speaking with a realtor!” You retorted, surprised when Jeff snickered.

 

“Yeah, it’s right up there with ‘in-ground pool’ and ‘fenced yard’. Get with the times.” He continued backing down the hallway. “Which door?”

 

“On the left. No, _left_. C’mon man, Christ.” You almost felt bad for getting exasperated when you realized how labored his breathing was. “Hey, are you o--”

 

“Shh, Vanguard’ll hear you. Gotta’ be quiet.” He grunted, fumbling the doorknob a few times before he managed to get the door open. “Do you…I mean, we both gotta’ get in there. You want to be on top of me? Probably better than the other way around. I might crush you or somethin’.”

 

“Remind me again why we’re cowering in fear in a fucking _bathroom_ from a _children’s toy?_ ”

 

“Because if it gives Matt the report that I’m _here_ , your little Good Samaritan, _Savin’ Private Ryan_ stunt is going to get you in hot fuckin’ water.” Jeff grimaced, holding his side. “Shit. Alright, I’m getting’ in. You need to get in here, too. If there’s no heat signatures it’ll leave.”

 

You stood there awkwardly while Jeff nearly fell trying to get his leg up over the lip of the bathtub. Your eyes roved over his back, squinting in the dim half-light. He looked battered, scrapes and bruises marring the skin there. Jeff swore under his breath, steadying himself and then sliding carefully down to lay on the bottom of the tub. “C’mon, I don’t bite.” He whispered.

 

“See, I _wasn’t_ worried about that until you said something.” The hint of a smile quirked Jeff’s lips up for a second and you sighed, relenting. “Fine, fine, I’ll humor you.” He shifted over to give you the room you needed and you gingerly maneuvered yourself to lay on top of him. “Are you okay?” You whispered.

 

He pressed a finger to his lips. The searchlight streamed in through the curtains over the window and you froze. You hadn’t even _noticed_ the drone getting closer. Obviously Jeff had been dealing with this for a while. You heard his breathing quicken and you hastily dropped your head to rest on his chest, shutting your eyes tight. The old children’s adage came back to you, “ _if I can’t see it, it can’t get me_.”

 

Jeff’s hand twitched and then inched up to wrap around your waist. His other hand rose to cradle the back of your neck, keeping you still against him. His heartbeat thundered in your ears, almost drowning out the whine of the drone’s propellers.

 

Your fingers dug into his ribs accidentally and Jeff grunted, whole body trembling violently for a second. You had no desire to deal with Matt twice in one night, but the drone’s spotlight was so bright you could see it through your eyelids. _There’s no way it won’t catch us._

 

The high-pitched _one two_ beep that it finally emitted made you flinch and Jeff held his breath, only letting it out after the whirring had faded into the distance. “Shit, I thought we were screwed for a minute there. How you holdin’ up?” He asked quietly, releasing you from his grip.

 

“I feel like I should be asking _you_ that question, weren’t you the one about to be sacrificed to ancient gods or some shit?!” You responded, flustered beyond belief. You scrambled to get out of the tub. “I don’t usually stay with strange men in my goddamn bathroom, but you’re _very_ persuasive.”

 

Jeff chuckled, wincing immediately afterwards and holding his side again. “Ah, fuck. I…nah, I wasn’t about to be sacrificed. I guess you could say it would have been more of a…a rewrite.”

 

“Well congrats, I have no idea what the hell _that_ means.” Your eyes fell on the pendant of his necklace, noticing with a start that it was visually similar to the giant burning effigy. _What the hell?_

 

Jeff, seeming to notice that you were staring, snapped the chain with a rough jerk of his fingers and stuffed the whole business in his pocket. “Listen, I uh…” He paused awkwardly, fiddling with his badly-chipped black nail polish. “Coming to get me was real nice of you. I…I don’t really deserve it. But thank you.”

 

“What do you mean? You were in _trouble_. I wasn’t going to…I mean, I took a picture and everything, you _have_ to go to the police about this.”

 

Jeff shook his head. “It won’t come out right. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

 

“B-But…” You pulled your phone out of your pocket and pressed on the ‘photo’ icon, bringing up the last picture you’d taken. It…no, this _couldn’t_ be right! The image was of the Hardy’s yard, yes, but in the picture it was broad daylight. And _not_ as if you’d had the flash on, either! No huge, burning idol, no pile of dirt. Just a small sandbox with a young boy playing in it.

 

You squinted. The boy looked _older_ than Matt’s son, Maxel, not by much but…why the hell wasn’t the picture the same? It was a _digital_ picture, it wasn’t exactly like you could have cross-exposure issues like you could with the old film cameras.

 

“It’s not the same, right?” Jeff asked. Obviously he knew the answer but you nodded anyway. “Something about…how Matt is _now_ does that.”

 

“’Now’? He was different before?”

 

“Hell yeah he was.” Jeff stared down at his hands. “We’ve always had our problems, all siblings do. But what he is now sure as shit ain’t my big brother, my big brother didn't warp space an' fuckin' time.”

 

“Okay look, we can deal with your _familial_ problems some other time. Right now, I want to know why the hell there was a giant fucking _tree-sized_ wooden structure that was very much on fire over in his backyard with _you_ in the dirt at the bottom of it, that I _apparently_ can’t take pictures of. So _spill it!_ ” You only barely resisted the urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. You hadn’t slept well in weeks due to the violin and constant yelling at night; your patience was a _little_ thin.

 

“I’ve got no explanation, man. At least not one that would make sense. I’m…I’m real sorry.” Jeff apologized.

 

“Not as sorry as you’re about to be, _man_. I’ve got your older brother for breaking and _fucking_ entering, I’ll get his ass arrested on--”

 

“No, please!” Jeff burst out. “ _Please_ , you can’t take him away, I’m so close! I can fix him, I _know_ I can, I can fix what I did, please don’t get the police involved. I’ll lose him for good if they put him away.” He begged.

 

“Convince me.” You folded your arms, glaring at the young man sitting in your bathtub. “Can you promise me I won’t have to deal with anymore late night violin bullshit? Or all the _hollering?_ Because I’m sorry, but if you can’t I’m going to the police. I’ve put up with this crap for long enough. Also, what if he hurts someone? He doesn’t seem too stable to me. Don’t you care about his wife or his kid’s safety?”

 

“More than _anything_.” Jeff replied fiercely. “He’s only rough with me. That’s just how it is. I’ll…shit, I’ll work harder. I didn’t know you could hear us anyhow. We’ve been keepin’ you up at night, haven’t we?”

 

“ _Your_ ass riding around on your fucking dirt bike keeps me up, and whoever is playing the fucking violin needs some _lessons_.” You growled.

 

Jeff winced. “M’ sorry. Once he summons me I kinda’ have to book it. I’ll switch to the rail trail that borders his property instead of the deer track over here. I’m…shit, I didn’t know. You never said anythin’, I wasn’t sure if you were maybe hard a’ hearin’ or an elderly person, somethin’ like that.”

 

“No, I was just trying to _not_ be an asshole. Shame on me, right?”

 

“You been tryin’ not to be an asshole for over a _year?_ ”

 

“Emphasis on trying.” You said wryly.

 

“Shit. I-I can’t really keep a lid on Willow, but I’ll do my best to respect your wishes, okay? Just _please_ , don’t call the cops.” He pleaded. “Hell, if you want you can string up some fishin’ line across the deer track so if I _do_ go that way I’ll get wiped out.”

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake man, _fine_.” You said in exasperation, “I won’t, okay? I won’t call the police.” _Willow? Who the_ _ **fuck**_ _is Willow?_

 

“Christ, _thank_ _you_. I promise it’ll all stop soon. I’m so close to…to making him better.” Jeff seemed relieved, slumping his head back against the side of the tub. He flinched, holding his ribs tightly. “Fuck.”

 

“Hey, you keep doing that. Did you guys fight or something?” Despite your better judgment you knelt beside the tub. Jeff shied away from you, keeping his eyes down. “Is he hurting you, Jeff?”

 

“Not…not exactly.” He replied hesitantly. “I…look, it isn’t really something that I can explain. I’ll be okay.”

 

_So that’s a yes._ You rolled your eyes. You would never understand why people did stuff like this. “Is this a ‘so he doesn’t hurt his wife and kid’ thing, or--”

 

“Matt would _never_ lay a hand on Maxel or Reb!” Jeff snapped. “I told you, no matter how out of his mind he gets they’re safe. He...he _loves_ them, he’d never fuckin’ hurt them.”

 

There was _obviously_ something else there, some emotional issue just barely buried, but you were too tired to press him. Plus, it wasn’t really any of your business to begin with.

 

“ _There is no_ _ **Jeffrey**_ _anymore_.” Matt’s frenzied words rang in your head once Jeff had left and you’d locked the door behind him. You felt a little guilty over the fact that you’d let him hobble back home by himself, but he wouldn’t accept your offer of help.

 

“ _I’ve gotten you into enough trouble tonight as is_.”

 

“What in the fuck is even going on here?” You groaned, rubbing your eyes and sliding down the front door to sit on the floor of your kitchen. The phone in your pocket buzzed and you pulled it out, squinting at the text from an unsaved number.

 

- _Thank u. Will keep it down._

 

You dismissed the text with an annoyed huff. You had _no_ idea how he’d gotten your number and quite frankly, you didn’t really give a damn at this point. Bed was calling, the tantalizing lure of an almost-full night’s sleep too powerful to ignore.

 

…

 

The next morning, you woke to sunlight streaming in through the windows of your small bedroom and birds chirping outside. You yawned, stretching your arms over your head.

 

_Last night!_

 

You snapped to attention, quickly grabbing your phone off the bedside table. You ignored the missed calls, there had been a phone scam going on as of late and if it had been important, whoever it was would have left a message. _The picture-!_ It was still there, still the same scene that was somehow even _less_ real than the insane thing you _had_ seen. Just some little kid, playing around in a sandbox. No fire, no Jeff laying on a mound of dirt...nothing. Trees and green grass.

 

You groaned, slapping your forehead with your phone. If the _picture_ was there, that meant that everything else _did_ happen; you’d hidden in your bathtub with the apparently less-crazy Hardy brother, among _many_ other things.

 

An unfamiliar ringing sound almost made you jump out of your skin and it took you a second to realize that it was just the doorbell. _When was the last time someone used that thing?_ “Hang on, I’m coming!” You called, struggling to get a pair of socks on. The floor tended to be chilly in the morning.

 

Upon opening the door, you nearly slammed it shut again. Jeff caught the door as you went to close it though, easily stopping you in your tracks.

 

“I take it you’re…probably confused.” He said slowly after staring down at you silently for _much_ longer than you were comfortable with. Sometimes it was easy to spot the similarities between he and Matt.

 

“I _just_ woke up, Jeff. Can’t I have five minutes of peace?” You didn’t _want_ to whine, but for fuck’s sake!

 

Jeff immediately looked guilty. “Shit, I woke you up didn’t I? I’m sorry, I didn’t…you didn’t answer your phone an’ it was kinda’ late. I got nervous.”

 

“Late, how late did I…?” You paused as you looked down at your phone. “God, it’s _noon_ , I haven’t even _showered_ , I still need to weed the garden and do laundry and…well, so much for my day off.” You sighed unhappily.

 

“D’you…uh, need a hand with anythin’?” Jeff asked awkwardly.

 

“ _Hell_ no, aren’t you not supposed to be here, anyway? ‘Lest I perish’ or some bullshit?” You pointed out, getting a quick grin from the man in front of you.

 

“Nah darlin’, only if you hid me from him an’ he found out.”

 

“Comforting. I’ll still pass. Thank you for the offer, but I’m gonna’ just do stuff on my own.” You tried to close the door but Jeff hadn’t let go of it. “Can I _help_ you with something, Hardy?”

 

“I…look, we been neighbors for a little while, right? Little more n' a year? An’ Matt an’ I have been loud assholes the whole time, I just…why’d you come grab me?” Jeff asked, his brow furrowed. “I can’t get my head around it is all.”

 

“Because _I’m_ not an asshole? I didn’t know it was you or anything, so don’t get any _ideas_. Would it be normal for _you_ to stand by and not do anything if you saw someone in trouble?” You asked instead, propping your hip against the doorframe and crossing your arms.

 

Jeff nodded. “That’s fair, I gotcha’. Well, thanks all the same, it…hell, it kinda’ means a lot to me that you’d do somethin’ like that for a total stranger.”

 

You opened your mouth to reply and then _Matt_ rounded the corner of your house. With five or six tomatoes nestled in his arms. “Ah, you’re awake! Senor Benjamin asked for a specimen and I assumed you would oblige. Brother Nero.” Matt offered his brother the barest incline of his head in greeting, which Jeff returned cautiously.

 

“Listen buddy, if you’ve messed up my beds I will be _pissed_.” You snarled, quickly pulling on the high boots you kept by your door and stomping down your steps to get _right_ in Matt’s face. You’d had _just about enough_ of this bullshit. “Did you get _permission_ to go into my garden? I don’t think you did.”

 

“Permission?” Matt’s face darkened. “I am a _vessel_ , filled with the joyous dreams of the Seven Deities, how _dare_ you imply-”

 

“You _broke into my house_ last night, did you and your Seven goddamn Deities forget that shit? Normal people get _very_ arrested when they attempt break-ins! And now you’re stealing food from my property! You aren’t exactly _endearing_ yourself to me.” You snapped, plucking your precious Brandywine Pinks and Black Krims out of Matt’s slack grasp. “Now! You can _apologize_ for breaking into my house and scaring me half to death, and then you can _ask_ to have some of my produce. Especially since you picked a few that aren’t even ripe.”

 

Matt looked positively _flabbergasted_ , his mouth hanging slightly open. It made for a rather comical picture.

 

“Well?” You pressed him after a second, tapping your foot on the ground. You heard motion behind you and then Jeff was at your elbow. He didn’t _say_ anything, just stood there with his arms crossed.

 

“I…I-I was unaware that I had overstepped. The door was unlocked, I was merely trying-”

 

“Nope. If it’s someone else’s house, you don’t get to talk about how it was open. I wouldn’t just wander into _your_ house, would I?”

 

“Well you _could_ , I suppose, nothing stopping you-”

 

“ _Fuck’s_ sake.” Jeff grunted quietly.

 

“Silence, _mule!_ ” Matt said sharply.

 

This was obviously getting you nowhere and it seemed like tensions were still high between the two of them, so you grabbed the sleeve of Matt’s elaborate ( _velvet, really?_ ) jacket and started pulling him in the direction of your garden. “Look, Matt, I get it, okay? You got a _little_ carried away. Which is fine, trust me, I understand. But let me at least show you which ones are ripe so you aren’t _wasteful_. I’m sure the uh… _Seven Deities_ would be upset if you wasted resources.”

 

It was absolute bullshit, you had _no_ idea what he’d been rambling about but apparently it struck a nerve. Matt was actually subdued, standing obediently with his hands tucked into his suitcoat while you pointed out the ripe fruits from the ones that needed a little more patience. Jeff hovered the whole time you talked, seeming incredibly anxious.

 

Wonder of all _fucking_ wonders, Reby came through the trees via the deer track with baby Maxel toddling along gripping her hand. Matt’s face lit up at the sight of his son and he bolted to scoop the child up. Jeff exhaled hard while Matt nuzzled Maxel’s nose with his own. Maxel squealed in delight. “I wasn’t sure where you’d gone, sweetheart. You’ve been up for hours, don’t you want to sleep?” Reby did an excellent job at camouflaging her concern, shooting you a grateful smile while Matt was occupied with Maxel.

 

“I told you Rebecca, I am _reborn_! No need for sleep, though this vessel does grow weary. I…well, perhaps you’re right. I have been learning, though!” Matt gestured over his shoulder. “Behold, this mortal has the most _delightful_ garden I have yet seen with my earthly eyes. We must attempt to make our own, Rebecca!”

 

“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you want.” Reby laced their fingers together and kissed Matt on the cheek. “Let’s go home now though, alright? We’ll get you recharged.” The look she gave you was more quizzical this time and you shrugged in reply. You had _no_ idea what the hell was so great about your garden that it made Matt practically _behave_ himself.

 

“Oh, Brother Nero! Make yourself useful and learn in my stead, that I may _absorb_ the knowledge once I’m done rejuvenating myself. _Do not fail me_.” Matt’s voice had completely lost the warmth it held when he spoke to his wife. It was more than a little alarming, as was the intense glare he fixed his younger brother with. Jeff nodded silently and that seemed to satisfy Matt, the older man returning his attention to his adorable son.

 

Jeff seemed to have a habit of holding his breath when Matt was around, because once the little family had made their exit he exhaled hard yet again. “Hell.”

 

“Why does he keep calling you Brother Nero?” You had to ask.

 

“He thinks…he thinks he got rid of Jeff last night. ‘Member what I said? It was a rewrite, not a sacrifice.” Jeff said, sounding a little pained. “It’s better this way. Sort of. Just seein’ me used t’ send him into a fuckin’ rage. Now he…well, it’s better than how it was. I’m still working on gettin’ him back. Step in the right direction.” He shook his hair out of its ponytail and began trying to collect all the stray bits back up.

 

He appeared to be in the process of growing out _multiple_ haircuts. You couldn’t help your little snort of laughter. “So…I guess in order to keep you alive and unpunished, I have to teach you about gardening.”

 

“Seems to be right. A’course, I wouldn’t blame you for sendin’ me off to take my licks, seein’ as how I been causing you trouble for a while now.” The slow grin he gave you made your stomach flip-flop.

 

_Oh no, no no no, c’mon._ You thought, thoroughly annoyed. _You’re a grown adult, this is_ _ **not**_ _the time for this!_

 

“I promise I won’t be that bad. I’m a good listener. I never gardened before. Mow a mean lawn though, that’s kinda’ like gardenin’ I guess.” Jeff drawled during the silence of your internal debate. “You uh, you probably should get outta’ your PJ’s.”

 

“Oh God, yeah, let me…” You scrambled for the relative safety of your house, slamming the front door shut. _Why am I doing this? They’re both_ _ **nuts!**_ You berated yourself, changing your mind three different times in the process of getting dressed as to whether you’d actually go back outside or take your chances on Matt _not_ being crazy enough to break into your house again and strangle you for _not_ teaching his brother the finer points of gardening. When had your life become so fucking _strange?_

 

…

 

Jeff ended up staying until dark, and you were surprised to admit that it…it hadn’t been a _terrible_ day. Once you showed him how to do the weeding he set into it with a focus that was almost comical, brows drawn in concentration while he cautiously slid his fingers between boxwood basil and Everbearer strawberries that were hell-bent on taking the place over. You found yourself watching him out of the corner of your eye. The way the roots tattooed on his hand dug into the dirt was...soothing, in a strangely primitive way. Almost like he himself was growing, like he belonged.

 

“This is kinda’ relaxin’ _._ ” He said finally, looking up at you while you trimmed the basil back down to size and collected the clippings in a little cup so you could make more pesto. “You eat everythin’ you grow?”

 

You explained that you dried things, made a lot of preserves and stored them for the colder months. Now that you lived out in the country and actually had the _room_ for a garden, it was exciting in a way to see what you could grow on your own. You had an affinity for growing oddly-colored things, from deep purple Krim tomatoes to the rainbow carrots.

 

“Matt’ll love doin’ stuff like this once he’s better.” Jeff murmured a little later, once the sun had set behind the trees. “I think, anyhow. He-”

 

That terrible, _shrieking_ violin broke the peace of the woods around the two of you and Jeff cringed visibly, his hands balling into fists. “I…I gotta' go _._ ” He said hesitantly. He didn't sound like he wanted to leave. He almost sounded...maybe a little scared. “Don’t worry about me, okay?”

 

“See, I wasn’t going to until you said that.” Jeff didn’t smile this time and you got to your feet, more than a bit concerned. “Hey, listen, if…if you’re not safe, you can come here. Hide in my bathtub again.” You offered quietly, reaching for his hand.

 

Jeff flinched back. “Not safe for _you_ if I do that.” He cleared his throat, shifting his weight nervously. The violin rang out again, seeming closer this time. “I'll think about it, alright? Don't want anythin' t' happen. I'm sure it'll be fine, anyhow.” And with that incredibly _reassuring_ parting statement, Jeff took off into the forest.

 

You dusted the dirt off your knees and put your hands on your hips. _I don't buy that for a second_. You huffed out a breath, picking up the small container of strawberries Jeff had carefully selected. He was _supposed_ to take them home, but they would probably be alright on the counter for a little while. You hated wasting food, especially if you'd grown it. If anything you could enjoy them with your breakfast some morning in the near future.

 

As you were getting ready for bed it struck you. Aside from the screeching violin earlier there had been no noise at all. Not even the normal, sleepy night sounds of the thin forest belt around your property. Just...silence. Like everything was holding its breath, like the woods knew something you didn't.

 

You slept fitfully that night. You barely recalled waking up at one point to a quiet tapping at your window, two eyes so disturbingly icy blue they _glowed_ staring back at you. But when you blinked, they had vanished. _Just a dream_ , you reasoned, rolling over again and pulling the blankets up to your chin.

 

…

 

You didn't see Jeff again until almost a week had gone by. Not that you'd been worried about him or anything. And the way that he reappeared was...much more exciting than you would prefer.

 

Upon coming home from work that day you stood stock-still in your yard, the keys to your house in your hand. The front door had been forced open, a black-and-white umbrella that you didn't recall owning leaned against the splintered doorframe. All you could see in the twilight from the outside was a large, black-clad figure moving around in your kitchen.

 

Your blood boiled as you immediately thought of Matt. _Son of a bitch!_ “You've got some _damn_ nerve, Matt Hardy!” You shouted, storming up the front steps and into your kitchen. “What did I...tell...”

 

Whoever it was, it _wasn't_ Matt.

 

Those eyes, those cold, nearly _white_ blue eyes that you _thought_ you'd dreamed up glared down at you and you immediately reassessed the situation. Lithe, dressed all in an all-enveloping black robe. Long sleeves. Their sharply-pointed mask did a damn good job of hiding their features. The person cocked their head to the side in a brutally fast, snapping motion.

 

“ _You_...”

 

You shivered. _Something_ about their voice set your teeth on edge. It was like it echoed eerily in your skull. The person moved as though they weren't comfortable in their skin, all jerky. They were…their body seemed to _blur_ at the edges, merging into the darkness of the room and afterimages burned the corners of your vision the longer you looked at them.

 

“ _ **He**_ _wanted something from here, something red._ ”

 

You were beginning to doubt that it _was_ a person, the pointed edges of the mask only exciting your already-overactive imagination. It made whoever it was look _alien_ , like a wyrm of old in a poorly-made disguise.

 

“ _I'll just eat you instead_.” The person smiled, oh God, their smile was awful, it _hurt_. Those eyes that did not blink turned your legs to lead and a gloved hand reached greedily towards you.

 

With a sickening feeling of resignation, you closed your eyes and waited.

 

“Absolutely _not_.”

 

Your eyes shot open again and you were confronted with…Jeff, seeming to flicker in and out of reality with the creature in front of you. His eyes looked _wrong_ , solid white like they had rolled back in his head.

 

“You _do not_ touch them. _Do not_.” He snarled, forcing it back. “Willow, _enough!_ ”

 

_Willow?_

 

The thing cackled. The smile was painful but that laugh almost made you drop. Your knees buckled. That was what you’d heard through the woods, that _horrible_ , screaming laughter. _Willow_.

 

“ _They know who I am now, don’t they? Come to me,_ _ **darlin’**_ _._ ” The being beckoned while Jeff dragged it back a step, then another.

 

“I said _hell_ _no_ , get away from them. _Enough_. You don’t get to touch them.” Jeff said fiercely. “Get the hell back!”

 

“ _You were_ _ **more**_ _than happy to let me take the reins the other evening when your brother beat you bloody_.” Willow hissed, fighting Jeff’s grip.

 

“That’s different, that’s what Matt _needed_ then, he needed me to be a fuckin’ monster. But _now_ , you ain't needed,” Jeff grunted, “so get _back_ behind your line.”

 

Willow pointed at you, that smirk back in place. “ _You live…you die…_ ”

 

“Shut the _hell_ up.” Jeff slapped a hand over Willow’s mouth, silencing the creature. It sort of… _slid_ up across his body, like a living shadow. Then it was gone. “Fuck.” Jeff panted, resting his hands on his knees. “You alright? Wasn’t sure I’d get to the surface in time.”

 

“You forgot your strawberries.” Was all you could think to say before your legs gave out beneath you, the ringing in your ears _suspiciously_ close to hysterical laughter. You hung your head as you fought off the urge to faint. Jeff was saying something to you, you couldn’t make it out over the pounding in your ears. You closed your eyes but the afterimages swirled sickeningly in front of them.

 

Hands cupped your face and you opened your eyes to Jeff mouthing, “ _Breathe_.” Of course, when had you stopped? _Inhale_. _Exhale_. Jeff looked terrified and for some reason that grounded you, calmed the slamming in your ears down to a dull roar. You had started crying at some point; your face was wet with tears. What had happened?

 

“Jeff,” You finally began, your voice shaky. “What was that?”

 

“ _Jesus_.” Jeff crushed you to his chest, stroking a hand over your hair. “Thought you were a goner for a sec there.”

 

You let yourself be held for a few moments, sniffling quietly into the fabric of his shirt as you fought to rationalize what you’d seen. “What was that, Jeff?”

 

“Don’t worry about it, alright? You…shh, you’re safe now.” Jeff murmured, cupping your face again. “I won’t let him touch you “

 

“Jeff, your eyes-?”

 

“The rewrite. It’s okay.” Jeff tried for a smile but it was pretty weak. “I’m obsolete, remember?” You nodded dumbly and he made a noise in the back of his throat. “Christ I’m sorry. I didn’t think he’d seek you out. That’s never happened before.”

 

“He said...you wanted something red.” You recalled.

 

Jeff perked up. “Oh! That’d be the strawberries. Weird that he would latch onto that.” He shrugged. “Explains him bein’ in here though.” Jeff got to his feet and helped you up, hands lingering a little long on your own. “Hey, I…I’m sorry about the other night. I know I promised to keep Matt quiet. Things got out of hand and I had to uh…I haven’t been myself lately.”

 

“I-It’s okay. I guess. I mean, not really, but…” You trailed off, biting your lip and staring at the ground.

 

“Fuck darlin’, I’m sorry. This is such a mess.” Jeff apologized. “I’ll get Matt figured out soon, I _promise_. No more of this crap, no more of this.” He gestured vaguely at your kitchen.

 

You sighed. “Why should I believe you? Nothing will change. I’ll just carry on being a goddamn doormat while the two of you wage war over some pointless bullshit. Until one of you burns the other one’s house down or something.”

 

“I’ve been rewritten, it’s not like that anymore. We…there’s a bigger problem we’re dealing with. A common enemy.” Jeff fumbled to explain. “I haven’t been myself all week, haven’t been able to warn you. Is there someplace else you can go for a few days? Maybe some relatives you can stay with?”

 

You shook your head. “I’m…I’m all alone out here for a reason.”

 

“Shit. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t’ be insensitive. For your own safety is all. Don’t want you gettin’ caught in the crossfire.” Jeff bit his lip, looking worried.

 

“What’s going _on_ , Jeff?” You pressed him.

 

“People comin’ for Maxel. For the baby. They’re gonna’ try and take him.”

 

“What, like Social Services or something?”

 

“ _Hell_ no, some crazy cat-eyed bitch an’ her two buddies. We know they’re comin’ and we’re gonna’ stand our ground, but I--I don’t know what’s gonna’ happen or how far they’re gonna’ reach. So…” Jeff sucked in a breath. “Do you have someplace you can go for a few days until shit cools off?”

 

“Have you guys called the police at all? I mean, if this is _legitimate_ , this sounds like something you would tell the cops.” You pointed out. His shoulders drooped. “Wait, don’t tell me. You can’t tell the police because ‘insert bullshit reason here’.”

 

“The less bodies available for these freaks, the better.” Jeff muttered. “Police aren’t equipped to handle a psychotic, poison-spitting maniac. I don’t know if _we_ are either, to be honest. But we’re gonna’ put up a hell of a fight.”

 

“Let’s say I believe you, okay? I really ought to, you just dealt with the hellspawn in my kitchen like it wasn’t a big deal. What can I do if these people end up on my property? Is there any way for me to defend myself? Or do I just cower behind my _broken_ fucking front door and wait for what comes?”

 

“I’ll fix your door, get you a good lock. Do your windows lock? Keep ‘em locked, keep the blinds and shades drawn. Lights off if you can manage it. Maybe uh, if you got a bookcase, put it in front of the door at night.” Jeff rattled things off, seeming unaware that you’d been being sarcastic. “God fuckin’ willing it don’t come to you tryin’ to defend yourself. If _they_ get in, you get _your_ ass out, run through the woods to Matt’s house. Don’t matter if they follow, we’ll fuck ‘em up.”

 

“What the _hell_ am I supposed to be expecting here?!”

 

“Something worse than Matt and I’s broken bullshit. I’m gonna’ take a trip to the hardware store. Stay put.” Jeff said sternly. “I’m serious on this one. Please stay put. Do your garden work, somethin’ like that. I’ll be back soon.”


	2. The Garden Wilts

You were beginning to wonder if you’d let yourself get wound up for no reason. Two days had gone by with no sign of these people Jeff had spoken of. The woods were peaceful at night aside from the quiet whine of Vanguard One, which had apparently been assigned to patrol the perimeter.

 

You had spent most of the day doing yardwork and cleaning up around the house. Nothing overly odd or alarming had interrupted your day, no eldritch abominations in your kitchen or shock-streaked lunatics stealing your produce. Very calm, damn near perfect. You should have known it wouldn’t last.

 

A hush came over the area as the sky darkened. No stars tonight, the moon muffled by thick clouds. You gathered up your tools finally, and with one last look up at the sky you headed in for the night.

 

Supper was in order, a nice bowl of yesterday’s spaghetti and meatballs calling your name. But as you waited patiently beside the microwave you heard a car motor draw near outside, and then turn off. A chill ran down your spine. It felt like you were being watched. But that was impossible. The front door was locked, the blinds covering the windows. There was no way--

 

Something _big_ hit your door with a solid ‘ _thud!_ ’, making you jump.

 

“I _know_ they’re in there! _Get the door open, Abyss!_ We can use them to get the _baby!_ ” shrieked a female voice, the frenzied noise almost animal-like.

 

_God fuckin’ willing it don’t come to you tryin’ to defend_ _yourself_. Jeff’s words echoed in your mind. You fled the kitchen _immediately_. If they were trying the door, hopefully that would give you the time to escape through your bedroom window.

 

You jerked the shades up out of the way and hastily swung the window open, still barely able to believe that this was happening. You maneuvered through the window as best you could, dropping to the ground with a hopefully-quieter-than-it-sounded-to-you grunt. There was a loud splintering noise behind you, no doubt the sound of your poor door caving in to the pressure of _whoever_ Abyss was. You sure as hell weren’t sticking around to find out.

 

Matt was apparently in fine form tonight. The drone buzzed by your head, camera twitching and clicking loudly as it followed your motions. You felt like an idiot for flailing at the damn _toy_ but the last thing you needed was for Matt to turn on it’s spotlight and give away your position.

 

Spying the lights from the main Hardy estate through the trees was the biggest relief of your life, a stitch forming in your side from your mad dash across the property lines. There was an abrupt scrabbling in the underbrush behind you and then a hand grabbed your ankle, sending you sprawling to the manicured lawn. You screamed and thrashed as a young man with paint smeared all over his face straddled you, his hand slamming down over your mouth and nose to silence you.

 

“Shh, quiet now. We don't want the _crazies_ to hear you, now do we?” He cooed, leaning in _much_ too close. Your chest heaved with the effort of trying to breathe through his fingers and you continued to struggle, clawing at the hand over your face. “It'll all be over, once Rosemary has her baby it'll all be over.” He continued with a hysterical little giggle, ignoring your desperate attempts to get air. “You slipped out of your house like a quiet little mouse, but I'm a sneakier snake than you'll ever be. Followed you in the grass and now here you are, here you are...”

 

“An' here _I_ am, asshole!” Jeff's voice rang out angrily, arms wrapped around the other man's midsection to drag him off of you with ease. You choked in a lungful of air as Jeff held your assailant upright and shook him violently. “The _hell_ are you tryin' t' pull, Crazzy? Don't you fuckin' know how t' treat my neighbor? Where the fuck are Rosemary and Abyss, you sneaky little bastard? I know you don't go nowhere without your posse close behind, so _where_ \--”

 

The triumphant, “ _Decay! I knew you'd come!_ ” from across the lawn made Jeff's face light up. He dropped the man ( _Crazzy?_ ), making a shooing motion. “Go on, buttercup. Big brother's waitin' for your sorry ass.”

 

“Rosemary will--!”

 

“ _ **Rosemary**_ _isn't going to do_ _ **anything**_.” Jeff faded out at the edges and for a split-second Willow was back, the creature _barely_ manifested on this plane but it was enough to make Crazzy yell and bolt across the yard. “You alright, darlin'?” Jeff asked softly out of the side of his mouth as he watched the man run.

 

“Uh-huh.” You gasped, rolling to your feet.

 

“Good. Stick with me. I'll get you to the house an' you can barricade y'self with Reb. They got into your place, yeah?”

 

“I went through the back window. There was a woman saying they were going to use me to get the baby, and she was talking to someone named Abyss.” You replied, shivering as you remembered her voice.

 

“The gang's all here.” Jeff replied, grabbing your hand. “So we don't get separated.”

 

You raised an eyebrow. “Did I ask?”

 

“I figured you might be a little hand-shy is all.”

 

“Just...get me somewhere _safe_ , Hardy.”

 

“Not Hardy anymore.” Those featureless white eyes half-lidded as he looked down at you. “Brother Nero.”

 

The dash across the lawn was as uneventful as one could expect. Upon reaching the front yard Jeff gently pushed you in the direction of the house, his fingers lingering a second too long again. “Get inside.”

 

“Wait, what about _you?_ ” You protested, suddenly _very_ worried. What on earth did they have planned?

 

Jeff's smile looked tired. “This is my family home. Maxel is my nephew, Matt is my brother, Reb is my sister. In-law, yeah, but she's a Hardy through and through. They're my family. An' I'm gonna' protect them with my life.” He stated with a calm surety. “I broke my brother. Nearly destroyed his family. I'm not losin' any of them ever again, not when I'm so close to fixing what I did. I'll take any punishment I need to.”

 

“ _Brother Nero, the time for battle is upon us!_ ” Matt hollered.

 

“I...I don't know what's goin' to happen tonight. Just promise me you'll stay safe.” Jeff said all in a rush.

 

“I-I will. I promise.” You whispered, reaching for his hand. But then he was gone, off like a shot in the direction his brother's voice had come from. You balled your hands into fists, inhaling hard as a fireworks volley sprang to life. _Stay safe_.

 

Reby emerged from the darkness with Maxel in a sling on her back once the preliminary volley had died down. “Come inside. All we can do is wait.” She said gently, laying a hand on your arm.

 

You were...admittedly bad at waiting. But you had been waiting for this for _two days_ , waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the tension made you pace in front of the locked main door while Reby lulled her son to sleep. You were hard pressed to think of another time in your life when you'd felt this helpless.

 

The fireworks, muffled by the house, continued to whistle and pop. Reby silently beckoned you to the living room when Maxel seemed to finally be sleeping peacefully, and she drew back the curtain in front of one of the windows.

 

Jeff was grappling with Crazzy beside the pool, the two men trading wild blows. Further off, near the lake on the property, you could barely make out the shape of a small, Bobcat-style machine trundling along. “I don't see Matt.” Reby whispered, voicing your own fear. _Where is Matt?_ “Or Rosemary, or Abyss.” Maxel started fussing in the other room and the woman beside you sighed. “I'm here, sweetheart, it's okay. Mommy's here.” She left you there to watch Jeff manhandle the facepaint-wearing maniac with your heart in your throat.

 

You wanted to scream, to pound your fists on the window as Jeff and Crazzy fell into the pool and didn't resurface for what felt like _centuries_. Jeff finally pulled himself out, flopping over onto his back. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he laid there, barely managing to sit up and sling the wet hair out of his face. White eyes met your own and widened for a split second before an arm wrapped around his neck and he was dragged back into the water. You pressed your lips together to keep from _actually_ screaming, running to the other room to talk to Reby. There had to be _something_ you could--!

 

Reby was laid out on the floor, a strange-looking woman standing over her body with a groggy Maxel in her clutches. You froze in the doorway, swallowing hard. _Rosemary_.

 

One of the woman's yellow, slit-pupiled eyes twitched and her black lips parted, revealing a smile so full of malice it made you instantly nervous. “Heya', sugar. You got away from us earlier. But that's okay.” You wished she didn't sound so conversational, it was almost _more_ unnerving than her falling upon you like a wild animal. That gave you an idea, though.

 

“I don't know what you're talking about.” You said, adopting your haughtiest tone and straightening up. “I run from no one. _You_ must be confused.” You took a step back down the hallway towards the main door, then another, and she stalked after you, seeming unable to resist.

 

Rosemary's eyes narrowed, tongue nervously darting out to lick at the corner of her chapped lips. For all intents and purposes the woman looked half-dead, but you were leery of trying anything drastic while she still held Maxel captive. “You're talkin' a load of shit. I get it though, the cute Hardy slings you some dick and you think you're _safe_.” She replied, sneering at you. “I'd watch that mouth of yours, _sugar_. I know you've already met Crazzy Steve, but I'm sure Abyss wouldn't mind _introducing_ himself.”

 

“You ever been _arrested_ , Rosemary? Maybe committed to a fine institution, where they can study your wacky self and you can make toothless threats until the cows come home?” You spat in reply, “I was told to be careful with you because you're dangerous, but all _I_ see in front of me is a scared little _bitch_.”

 

Rosemary damn near _dropped_ Maxel in her rage and you feared you may have bitten off more than you could chew as she set the child down on the floor, where he began to cry noisily. “You piece of _garbage_ , I'll make you regret even looking at me!” She shrieked, lunging forward just as you unlocked the door behind you. The both of you rolled down the brick steps, the back of your head cracking against the hard surface. You nearly blacked out but you forced yourself to stay awake. The longer you kept her occupied, the better your chances were of _someone_ coming to help Reby and Maxel!

 

“I just feel like you could use some work, _girlie_.” You grinned blearily up at her, trying to be as _obnoxious_ as you could manage and giving her an open-handed slap on the cheek that jerked her head sideways. “What's with the getup anyhow, going for that stereotypical 'carnie scum' vibe?”

 

She screamed wordlessly, tearing at her _own_ hair for some strange reason before clawing wildly at your shirt. Another hard slap caught her off-guard. Of all things, she seemed _frustrated_ that you weren't immediately cowering in fear. It was like she didn't know what to do with herself now, like she'd had no other plan. A strange, green slime trickled down her chin and she quickly wiped it away with her arm, shrieking again.

 

Matt was suddenly there, arms around Rosemary's waist and easily flinging her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. “Are you injured, my compatriot who grows the food? Brother Nero has repaid his debt and made the ultimate sacrifice, we must tend to him!” He said seriously, ignoring the flailing, poison-spitting woman slung over his back.

 

“Matt, Reby and Maxel-!” You panted, gesturing towards the door. The man paused and Rosemary slithered out of his grip, hissing and crouching just barely within the half-circle of light cast by the open door.

 

The side yard seemed to be on _fire_ , no doubt a contributing factor to the reason why Rosemary stood alone. Matt's words caught up to you and you struggled to stand. Your head ached _terribly_ but...

 

_Brother Nero has made the ultimate sacrifice_.

 

“Where is he?” You managed to ask Matt, who pointed over the fire towards the lake.

 

Rosemary screamed _something_ and then fled into the darkness. “Foul _witch_ , you'll not escape me that easily!” Matt nearly set off after her but you brought your hand down on the middle of his chest.

 

“Your _wife_ is unconscious inside, your _son_ needs you.” You said testily, making his eyes widen.

 

“King Maxel and Queen Rebecca! Of course, of course. I will protect them, as I should. Go to Brother Nero!” He urged you. “I have seen this in a _premonition_ , he will not wake unless _you_ wake him!”

 

_More crazy bullshit_. You nodded to oblige him, starting your slow trek around the still-smoldering portion of lawn. Your whole body felt sore, your head especially tender. Why the _hell_ were you doing this again? _Jeff needs you_. You rolled your eyes at yourself.

 

The younger Hardy was too still when you found him, slumped in a half-upright position. His eyes were wide open but he didn't seem to see you. One of his arms was wrapped around his midsection and it came away sticky and red-smeared when you gingerly moved it. He was soaked through from the pool, breath coming in weak, hiccupping sobs.

 

“Jeff, _God_.” You cringed when you lifted the hem of his shirt. He'd been punctured full of holes in his stomach, straight, multi-tiered lines the whole way across.

 

“T-Told you.” He choked out, raising his hand to grab at the air in front of him. “Do whatever it takes, yeah? Abyss was gonna'...he was gonna'...”

 

“Shh, please. Be quiet.” You hushed him, not sure whether you were going to cry if he kept trying to talk.

 

Jeff was apparently _terrible_ at following directions. His fingers twined through your own, roots lacing into the dirt. “ _Alas my love, you say goodbye; wipe the poison from my brow_ _..and in this moment I take my vow, these angels sleeping at my feet; you could not know how my spirit wants to flee_.” He gasped the words slowly, obviously reciting a quote. He seemed desperate to convey a point, something _important_ that your aching head couldn’t grasp. His lips then pressed to your knuckles, a tender gesture that spoke volumes.

 

You returned the kiss hesitantly, touching your mouth to cold, trembling fingers. Jeff smiled, his hand sluggishly moving up to cup your cheek. “Thank you for caring.” He murmured. With that, his hand dropped to the ground, and his head rolled forward until his chin rested on his chest.

 

When you screamed for Matt, you were certain you sounded a thousand times more nightmarish than Willow.

 

* * *

 

 

Jeff came out of the water wrong the first time, came out of the water younger and _startlingly_ talkative. Matt started clicking his teeth together in irritation as Jeff lit a cigarette and carried on prattling “ _You can't decay unless you have_ _ **deceased!**_ ” with it dangling out of the side of his mouth.

 

Your own mouth was hung slightly open in shock. You hadn't really bought the whole “ _Lake of Reincarnation_ ” thing, you'd been more inclined to call an ambulance versus waiting for sunrise so Matt could dunk his younger brother.

 

But no, it _did_ seem to work, albeit a little too well. Matt, clearly having had _enough_ of the other man's antics, slammed him back into the water. When he came up this time, he was as himself as he could be, his face blank and mouth curled in a snarl. “Delete, _obsolete!_ ” Jeff growled, white eyes boring through you.

 

“Ah, Brother Nero! It is good to have you return whole in body. Now, I will send you with our fine grocer. Go, secure the perimeter of their property. The Great War is upon us!” Matt said with a grin, clapping his brother on the shoulder. Jeff moved to stand silently beside you, _sopping_ wet from being submerged twice. You looked back and forth between he and Matt, sure the panic was written on your face. “Do not be afraid, my friend! Brother Nero is _obedient_ now, docile as a beast of burden. You may use him as your own personal mule for your efforts in saving King Maxel and Queen Rebecca last night.” Matt gestured grandly up and down Jeff, like he was a work of art on display.

 

Your heart sank and you swallowed hard, nodding. Jeff didn't really _react_ at all when you finally took his hand, simply staring straight ahead and letting himself be led.

 

“I...I don't know what you did for Matt last night.” You said softly once you were out of earshot of Matt and Reby. “He says your debt is repaid. I'm not sure what you were working to fix, but I hope that means that it's taken care of and you can be okay now.”

 

Jeff grunted, the curt noise apparently serving as his reply. You fell silent, willing yourself not to cry. You'd done enough of that during the sleepless night as he arched his back and groaned in pain while Matt tended clumsily to him.

 

_Alas my love, you say goodbye…_

 

You sniffled, wiping at your eyes with your free hand. He _would_ quote some Shakespearean-sounding bullshit while bleeding out from the stomach. “I didn’t want to care about you, y’know.” You said shakily. Obviously whoever this was beside you, it sure as hell wasn’t Jeff. “I wanted to just stay mad or annoyed about my crazy neighbors. I can live with that. This caring stuff _hurts_ , Jeff, it hurts and I don’t-" Your back was suddenly pushed against a tree, Jeff’s damp body flush with your own. You stared up at the man in front of you, confused beyond belief and a little scared. “J-Jeff?”

 

 

Fingers twitched in your grip, then hesitantly laced themselves with yours. _His roots_. “I…” He breathed, his thumb stroking across the back of your hand. “I couldn’t do anything while Matt was in sight. He has to believe that I’m really _his_. But you…you care about me? Honestly?”

 

You nodded, not trusting your voice. Jeff cupped your face and kissed you. Softly at first, then more urgently as you pressed closer and whimpered in your throat. “I wasn’t sure you would make it through the night.” You confessed breathlessly. “Matt didn’t want me to call the ambulance, he said that the Lake would be the only thing that could help.”

 

“He was probably right. I’m sorry though, that must have been awful to watch.” Jeff grimaced. “’Specially if you care about me, I imagine.”

 

“It was pretty horrendous, not going to lie.”

 

“I’ll make it up to you.” Another gentle kiss grazed your forehead. “I promise. Let’s go make sure there’s no freaks in your house.”

 

Your poor front door hung crooked, knocking against the toppled bookcase with every gentle breeze. Jeff whistled, seeming surprised. “Damn. They were not fuckin’ around here.”

 

“I feel bad for my house.” You pursed your lips. “Do you think we can fix the door?”

 

“If you’ve got a hammer, I can iron out that busted hinge. It’ll be good as new.” Jeff said confidently. “We’ll do a full sweep first, though. Need to make sure it’s safe. That’s what I’m here for after all.” He ducked his head and nudged teasingly at the shell of your ear with his nose, making you shiver. “Keepin’ you safe.” He whispered.

 

Aside from the upset bookcase, broken bowl of spaghetti on the floor of the kitchen and ripped drapes in the bathroom, the house seemed unharmed. You were relieved beyond belief.

 

Jeff helped you right the bookcase and you set to putting your books in order as he unscrewed the bent hinge from the door and began hammering it back into something functional. The silence the two of you worked in was companionable, and you found yourself shooting him glances as you carried out your task. He looked up and caught you staring, giving you a wink in response. “Like what you see, darlin’?” He joked, making you roll your eyes.

 

“Just hurry up and fix the door. I’m not in the habit of making my private affairs public.” You replied, laughing when he swallowed hard.

 

“Damn, if _that_ ain’t some kinda’ motivation.”

 

Finally, he held the door steady while you pushed the pin back through the hinge. The door was creakier than it had been, but closed firmly behind you.

 

Jeff pinned you to the wall beside the door, mouth hungrily trailing over the skin of your neck. You squirmed, trying to get even closer to him. Now that you’d had a taste, you felt like you could never get enough. “Please.” You begged, fingers digging into the smooth planes of his shoulder blades through his tank top. “ _Please_ , Jeff--”

 

“I’ve got you. You’re alright.” Jeff said softly. His hands dragged over your shoulders, your arms. “Gotta’ take care of you. The one with nothin’, who damn near gave everythin’ last night.” He praised, making you flush. “We ain't even your family, but you squared off with that bitch like there wasn’t even a question in your mind.”

 

“She was trying to take the baby.” You said, feeling lame for your obvious response.

 

Jeff nodded. “I know. An’ she didn’t get him because of you. House Hardy still stands today with your help, darlin’. Maxel means everythin’ to Matt an’ Reb. Me too, but their interest is a little closer to home.” He peeled your shirt off over your head. “Let me thank you.”

 

“M-Maybe I should do dumb stuff more often, if this is how I get rewarded.” You stammered, carding your fingers through his hair as he tugged your bra down and tenderly woke the peaks of your breasts with his palm.

 

“So I don’t hurt you.” He explained quietly.

 

“Did I a-ask?”

 

“Does it matter?” Jeff took one of your nipples in his mouth and you could _feel_ his smirk when your knees buckled. Your fingers tangled in his hair and held him to your breast while he teased you with his teeth and tongue. “Mm, someone _likes_ that, do they?” He murmured around his mouthful, making you whine and tug at his locks. “Christ, I _have_ t' have you. Is that alright?”

 

You nodded, hands roaming restlessly over the skin of his shoulders. “Just _please_ don’t stop touching me.”

 

Jeff dropped to his knees, unbuttoning your pants and pulling them down your legs. He slid his fingers up the outside of your thighs and grabbed the top of your panties. “You’re so _fucking_ beautiful. I…hell. I’m lucky to be alive but even _luckier_ to be alive where I’m kneelin’, I think.” He grinned, touching his lips to the bare skin of your stomach as he spoke. “Gonna’ make you feel so good once I get a little taste a’ you.”

 

Jeff’s fingers spread you open and you didn’t even have _time_ to be embarrassed before his mouth was on your hot core, a sloppy kiss gifted to your most intimate area. “ _Oh_ , fuck!” You cried out, pressing a hand to the back of his head. Jeff _growled_ in approval, tongue quickly lashing across your clit before he pulled back.

 

“Right here, right _fucking_ here.” He groaned, wiping off his chin and all but dragging you to lay on the floor. He crawled over you, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake as he made his way up your body. “Fuck's sake darlin', it ain't fair that you look so good to a man like me.” Jeff said shakily. “I'm an awful person. So awful. An' you just...you just _lay_ there, lookin' like sixty kinds a' _perfect_ sin and _hell_ , if ever there was a fuckin' sinner it'd be me.” His voice had died down to nothing but a whisper, fingers mapping the expanse of your thighs and torso. “May I?”

 

“Please.” You said softly.

 

Jeff's eyes closed and he tilted his head back. “Hell.” He sucked in a breath, shaking himself bodily and then struggling out of his tank top. Your fingers traced over the ink on his body as he unzipped his pants, cupping the tattoo on the side of his neck with a smile.

 

“Kept your brother safe. Kept his family safe.” You began.

 

Jeff shook his head. “Was almost too late.”

 

“You _weren't_ , though. You'll make yourself crazy if you think that way.” You scolded him gently.

 

“I know.” Jeff buried his face in your neck for a moment and you stroked his hair soothingly. “I just keep getting' these jerky flashes of what happened last night. I saw you, through the window in the house. When I was fightin' with Steve. Saw Rosemary behind you.” His next breath shuddered. “I...my lungs were fuckin' burning, starved for air and all I could think about was the fact that I was _failing_ , I was _failing_ at protectin' my family. So when I finally managed t' deal with Crazzy and then I saw Matt about to be fuckin' split in half I just...” He shrugged. “I didn't really think. I just knew I couldn't fuck up _everythin_ ', I knew Matt would tear Rosemary limb from limb to keep Maxel safe.”

 

“Matt kept putting Band-Aids on your stomach and saying that he was helping. All he and Reby had were the small ones though, with little cartoon characters on them.” You admitted, making Jeff snort.

 

“'Course he did.” He smiled, asking again, “May I?”

 

“Please.” You repeated, smiling back at him. “I'm yours. Even though you're an awful neighbor.”

 

“ _God_ , mm, the worst.” Jeff agreed breathlessly, wriggling in an attempt to get out of his jeans. “Absolutely the worst, _fuck_ these fuckin' pants, I can't--” He cut himself off, snapping his teeth. “Never mind, never mind, s'good enough.” He jerked his boxer briefs down around his thighs, freeing his cock from the confines of half-dried fabric. “Christ I want you, _hell_ , I've never wanted somebody this bad.” Jeff sounded outright _confused_ , though it was hard to focus on what he was saying while he teased your clit with the head of his cock.

 

You whimpered and arched your body up to press against him, rolling your hips in a slow motion that had his eyes half-lidding as he watched. “Jeff, p- _please_ -” You weren't sure how much longer you could handle the almost-fucking, the torment of his thumb and fingers sliding back and forth over your aching pussy while his cock was _right there_ , _**right**_ _there_ , begging to be utilized.

 

When Jeff finally pressed the head of his cock into you, though, you lost your breath. “Want _you_.” Jeff whispered, touching his forehead to your own. “Darlin' I want you like I've never wanted anythin' else in my fucking _life_. Wanna' be good to you, for you, don't want you to be lonely anymore.”

 

“I'm not.” You managed to gasp, looping your arms around his neck and kissing him as he sheathed himself fully and came to a stop. You could feel his shoulders twitching from trying to keep still. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and Jeff messily kissed your cheek, asking worriedly if you were alright. You nodded bravely, fingers digging into his shoulders probably a _little_ too hard.

 

“Hell no, I'm not gonna' hurt you.” Jeff grunted, refusing to budge. “You take your time. I ain't goin' anywhere. Take your time.” He watched your face, concern wrinkling his forehead. “Let me know if you need me to stop, darlin', we can stop right now if you need me to.”

 

“No no, I want-- _please_ , I want. Just...Just go slow.” You begged, urging him to move. Jeff still looked worried, but he obliged you with a deep stroke. In and out, the careful, slick drag of his skin against yours more than enough to reawaken the fire that had started in your belly. “ _Yes!_ Jeff, just like that, _mm_ -” Your voice cracked and that seemed to reassure the man above you, his motions a little more fluid now.

 

“Darlin' you're so fuckin' tight around me, _fuck_.” Jeff moaned, shoving his hair back out of his face so he could duck his head and watch the way your bodies connected. “Look at you, _look_ at you, so pretty, so fuckin' pretty. I just...” He paused, hanging his head while his whole body shuddered. “Havin' you with me in the fucking tub was absolute torture.” He confessed suddenly. “I'd just gotten the everliving shit kicked out of me an' I know it was a necessity kinda' thing but you all...cozied up against me with your head on my chest fuckin' did me in, darlin'.”

 

“I...really?” You panted, unable to keep from smiling when he nodded guiltily. “I was worried I was hurting you.”

 

“Nah, just made my stomach drop out.” Jeff replied nonchalantly, gesturing down at his belly. You wanted to laugh but the breath was snatched out of your lungs when he picked up the pace, his thrusts rocking your whole body. “What can I say, I'm a sucker for a nice smile and bein' dragged through the woods by my belt.”

 

The noise you made was half-laugh, half-whine and Jeff dropped his forehead to rest in the hollow of your throat. Your hands wrapped in his hair again, your voice crooning your delight loudly to him as your orgasm finally spilled over you. Jeff's mouth found your breasts again and he gritted out a swear, praising every inch of you with trembling lips and clumsy fingers when he came apart inside of you.

 

“I never want to forget this second, this fucking point in time.” Jeff said finally, his voice soft. You cradled his head against your chest, one hand on the back of his neck. You silently mirrored the way he'd held you and Jeff obviously noticed, if the groan he let escape was any indicator. “Never want to forget how you feel, never want to forget _you_ , darlin'.”

 

“I'll always be here.” You promised. “I'll always be here, you don't have to forget me.”

 

“Thank you.” Jeff sighed, nuzzling his nose against your own. “Fuckin' _hell_ , thank you.”

 

After the two of you had gotten cleaned up and then succumbed to the lure of one another once again while making your bed, you laid still, trying to catch your breath on top of Jeff's chest. His fingers slowly combed through your hair over and over, the motion like a drug that threatened to send you to sleep.

 

“Darlin', can I see that picture that you took?” He asked quietly, kissing your forehead. You nodded drowsily, fumbling over the bedside table for your phone and dropping it beside his head.

 

“Continue the hand thing.” You mumbled, making him chuckle and carry on stroking your hair. Then, his fingers stopped momentarily, followed by a huff of breath from over your head. “What?”

 

“I uh...I recognize this.” He held the phone sideways so you could see, pointing at a small tree off to the side. “That's the big maple in Matt's yard, or rather it's big _now_. You got a shot of somethin' goddamn _ancient_ , darlin'. That sandbox is a fuckin' relic. That was Matt and I's sandbox. And I am...maybe seventy percent sure that the little kid is in fact, me.” He squinted. “Matt must have mounted the symbol directly over where the sandbox was because the foundation was there. An' when I took a digger off the top, I must have lined up just right for something to uh. Skip backwards, I guess.”

 

You stared up at him wide-eyed and Jeff smiled, kissing your forehead again.

 

“Hey, don't worry about it. Just a little sleuthing is all. Like I keep saying, I'll have Matt straightened out before you know it. And there won't be any more of this kind of stuff to worry about.” He said reassuringly, going back to caressing your hair.

 

You snuggled into his chest, sighing in content and letting his motions and the sound of his heartbeat lull you to sleep.

 

…

 

_Darling,_

_I know you're going to be upset with me. Hell, **I'm** upset with me. But these events were set in motion and there's no stopping them. _

_Matt and I have a score to settle with Decay. After that, a pilgrimage will take place. And God willing, God fucking willing, once all is said and done and I've appeased every piss-poor deity out there, I'll have my brother back._

 

_Leaving you is the hardest thing I've ever done. Especially since I know that you care about me._

_It was so hard just to drag myself from the bed, from **you** this morning, to steal away while you were all tangled up in the sheets, your face flushed and soft with sleep. _

_Christ, I hate myself. But this needs to be done. I'm so sorry._

 

_I never want to forget you. I understand if that sounds like hollow bullshit to you, but it's the truest thing in the world._

_I never want to forget the way your eyes look, the way your hands move and the way you smile at me like I deserve it. And I know I'll probably never see that smile again, Lord knows I don't fucking deserve it. I never want to forget, fuck the rewrites, fuck being deleted or revitalized in the lake. I **will not** forget you. _

 

_When I come back (because I **am** coming back), I'll take whatever punishment you dole out. Scream at me, punch me, I don't care. I'll gather you up if you let me get close enough, hold you tight and stroke your hair and just let you rail against me. I won't even care if it's all awful shit, if you never want to see me again. I deserve it. I've barely even left and all I want to do is hold you one last time. _

 

_'And in this moment I take my vow, these angels sleeping at my feet.'_

 

_-Jeff._

 


	3. The Garden Waits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [!TRIGGER WARNING!: For occasionally vivid descriptions of unspecified eating disorder(s) and brief allusions to drug usage.]

You supposed you could have been a little _less_ surprised when you woke up to nothing but a note and an empty house. You ended up staying in bed most of the day, staring at the ceiling and berating yourself not only for the crying (which you couldn’t seem to stop), but for thinking that he would actually stay. Nobody ever _stayed_ , that just wasn’t how things were in your world.

 

You were all alone out here for a reason.

 

The next few days were difficult. Calling in to work wasn’t _really_ an option. Everything seemed to remind you of that…well. You kept thinking that you heard him, or caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of your eye. But it was just your imagination, wishful thinking.

 

So you rotated the fruit and swallowed your tears, and if you were a little quieter, well, that was allowed in this instance.

 

Just go to work, do the work, come home, go to sleep. Repeat.

 

You started asking for more hours. The silence of the woods around your house felt like it was crushing you on your days off so you decided that less days off were the solution. The passage of time was marked by the quiet _ding_ of the microwave; your garden wasted away outside while you sat in the kitchen with the blinds down.

 

You had nightmares about Crazzy Steve suffocating you, filthy fingers pressed over your nose and mouth, about Rosemary beating your head in on the front steps with a loose brick.

 

And _that_ was the worst part, waking up in a cold sweat, chest pitching for breath as you shivered and tried not to cry because you were _sick_ of crying and no one, _no one_ was there to comfort you.

 

...

 

When you heard the lawnmower start up one morning you thought you were still dreaming. You pulled yourself out of bed and got dressed. Movements slow and creaky like a sleepwalker, you trudged down your front steps and out into the woods.

 

The woods that you'd dragged Jeff through by the back of his pants, the woods you'd run through to get to safety. It felt like another lifetime ago.

 

You hated how your heart fell when you realized it was just Señor Benjamin, the old man offering you a friendly wave from atop the machine when he spotted you. He started making an (incredibly slow) beeline across the lawn towards you. The grass was almost mid-shin height.

 

“ _Hola_ , neighbor! The Hardys aren’t around at the moment, would you like to leave a message?” He asked after he’d stopped the mower blades.

 

You shook your head. “I was just…I mean, do you know when they’ll be back?”

 

“Ah, they did not give me a specific date. Mister Hardy said sometime this spring. So I will carry on managing the grounds until they get back from their Expedition.” Benjamin’s words made your heart sink and you were barely able to nod in reply.

 

_Spring_.

 

Who the hell just upped skirts and _left_ these days? You huffed out an angry breath as you stalked back to your house. The anger was a welcome change from the usual misery that seemed to hang over you like a rain cloud; you embraced the hot emotion gladly. You threw open your front door and glared accusingly at the trashcan that overflowed with microwave meal packaging, the sink full of dirty silverware.

 

_I’m alone out here for a reason and no stupid_ _ **boy**_ _with stupid tattoos is going to change that shit_.

 

You were exhausted once you were done cleaning your house, but it wasn’t the achy exhaustion of depression that had grown so familiar in the past weeks. It was the exhaustion of a hard day’s work, the kind that left you bone-tired but absolutely satisfied with what you’d accomplished. With a mental promise to fix your garden back up tomorrow, you fell into bed and slept well for the first time since Jeff had left.

 

Keeping occupied was obviously the best course of action when it came to staving off the sadness that threatened to swallow you whole. You fixed up your garden and filled your kitchen with garlands of drying herbs, picked more jars for preserves and kept your longer shifts in the grocery store, tried to remember to eat.

 

Señor Benjamin stopped in at the store sometimes for essentials, and sometimes just to talk. You imagined upkeep on the somewhat _massive_ Hardy estate couldn’t be easy for one man to handle, but he seemed to do fine on his own.

 

“It is…much less exciting without the boys around.” He mentioned one afternoon, smiling in a way that indicated he was perfectly fine with that.

 

The days grew shorter and the chilly weather set in. Having finally saved up enough to justify the purchase, you got internet for your home usage and proceeded to look up tutorials on growing plants indoors during the less temperate months. You were determined to keep the sadness at bay even through the cold and rain of winter, doing your best to stay out of the rut of _remembering_ , doing your best to eat.

 

It was hard to take baths. You felt like your ribs poked out more when you laid down, like your hipbones jutted too far. Plus, _t_ _hat_ night flooded back into your brain every time you did, and you _hated_ crying for stupid reasons. Jeff limping into the bathroom and holding his side, the wounds on his back--

 

You were better off showering. It didn’t take up so much time.

 

You were doing fine. It didn’t hurt anymore. You forgot to eat sometimes and most days it was a struggle to get out of bed but you were _fine_ and it didn't hurt anymore.

 

…

 

“ _You've grown thinner._ ”

 

You had been _dreading_ the holidays (while denying up and down that you were dreading them). But _this_ shit kind of made spending Christmas Eve alone pale in comparison.

 

Willow had the audacity to just… _sit_ at your kitchen table. With an ornate, black and white cup of what appeared to be tea held delicately with gloved fingers. They tilted their head when you walked in the door, but besides that they gave no indication that anything about this situation was odd. You, on the other hand, were more than flustered. The last time you’d seen them, they were a bit more… _lively_.

 

“ _Well, sit down already. Can I get you a cup? It’s orange pekoe_.” Willow said impatiently after you stood in the doorway for _several_ minutes, mentally debating on whether you should flee screaming into the cold, dark woods or whether you should grab some religious artifact and start fucking _rebuking_ the black-cloaked being currently residing in your kitchen. There was, however, a decidedly more civil air to them versus your last encounter. No afterimages in the corners of your vision, barely any echo in your head from their voice.

 

“I uh…you’re not going to eat me?” You asked hesitantly. You could have sworn that tea set was _not_ there a second ago.

 

They smirked. “ _Do you really think I would tell you? But no, if it makes you feel better, I’m not here to eat you. I’m not allowed to touch you, if you recall_.” You cringed at the memory and you could have sworn Willow looked apologetic for a split second. It was gone just as quick, turned back into a neutral expression. “ _Sit down._ ” You stripped off your wet jacket and hung it beside the door, kicked off your boots and gingerly sat down across from Willow. They gestured up at the ceiling festooned with tinsel. “ _You have been keeping busy_.”

 

You weren't sure _why_ , but their tone struck you as almost... _accusatory_. White-blue eyes were narrowed at you. When the _hell_ had doing what you wanted become something that would annoy some...well, _whatever_ Willow was? “I'm sorry, _why_ are you here?” You bristled in irritation. The day had been long and busy, you hadn't been looking _forward_ to your lonely evening but if supernatural harassment was the alternative...

 

You weren't exactly Ebeneezer _fucking_ Scrooge, and the creature across from you sure as hell wasn't Jacob Marley.

 

“ _I am here because I was told to be here_.” Willow shrugged. “ _You have been calling me, you keep talking about not wanting to be alone on Christmas_.”

 

“I did _no_ such thi-”

 

“ _You do not have to say things out loud for me to hear them_.” Willow interrupted your retort sharply. “ _Your thoughts pull me. I have no choice but to listen. To...obey, as I do with_ _ **him**_.” You flinched at the indirect mention of Jeff and Willow cocked their head. “ _Ah. There is still something in your rib cage for_ _ **him**_ _. You certainly do spend a lot of time adamantly not thinking about_ _ **him**_ _. Which is still considered thinking about_ _ **him**_ _, I should add._ ”

 

You stood up so suddenly your chair tipped over behind you. Willow had the grace to appear a little startled. “Get. _Out_.” You hissed after storming around the table and grabbing them by the front of their robe. “Get the _hell_ out of my house.”

 

“ _You...are very like_ _ **him**_ _, in a way._ ” Willow's smirk was back. “ _Alone, but bad at being alone. You scream for companionship in your mind but you say you do not want it with your mouth. How do you think_ _ **he**_ _found me? Being the quiet child is such a lonely existence_.”

 

“I don't...” Your grip slacked off and you took a deep breath. “I don't...I don't need anyone. I've been doing alright.”

 

Willow snorted. “ _So stubborn._ ”

 

“There's nothing I can do about it!” You burst out. “He left _me_ , okay, freak show? Obviously I wasn't enough of a draw to get him to stick around just until I fucking _woke up!_ Maybe he could have explained...maybe I could have...look, I've spent so much time thinking about this. You _don't_ tell someone you care about them and then react favorably when they slink out on you the next morning, that's not how this crap _works!_ ”

 

“ _This plan has been in_ _ **his**_ _mind for months. Meeting you changed nothing when it came to that. And yet, everything else has changed._ _ **He**_ _does not waste physically, but_ _ **his**_ _own ribcage aches._ _ **His**_ _timing is, as always, impeccably terrible._ ” Willow's mouth twisted into a frown. “ _Not to mention_ _ **his**_ _handwriting._ ”

 

A hysterical little snicker fought free at how indignant they sounded. You righted your chair and sat back down, putting your head in your hands. “I've been trying so hard. The first couple weeks, all I wanted to do was sit around and cry and feel sorry for myself.” You confessed through your fingers, not really sure why. “But I got up, I did. Every day. I got up and I went to work and I tried to forget that idiot and his stupid fucking brother and their stupid fucking fights and violins and...” You trailed off, swallowing back your tears.

 

“ _Nothing has worked. Your body is waning. Your mind is an absolute mess_.” Willow's words were unflinchingly honest. “ _You are alone and it hurts you much more than you thought it would because you care for someone_.”

 

“'Cared'. Past tense.” You corrected bitterly. “I'm done with that.”

 

“ _You are a terrible liar_.”

 

“I don't remember asking, freak show.”

 

“ _Your empty ribcage misses_ _ **him**_.”

 

“Shut the fuck up.”

 

“ _I was there, you know. I am always here and there, though we are separate sometimes_.” Willow's tone was conversational as they refilled their teacup. “ _After you coupled like needy animals,_ _ **he**_ _laid_ _ **his**_ _head on your chest and told you_ _ **he**_ _didn't want to forget. And you stroked_ _ **his**_ _hair like_ _ **he**_ _was a child, held_ _ **him**_ _to your breast._ _ **He**_ _drank deeply from you and gave you every tiny bit of messy, haphazard emotion_ _ **he**_ _could muster up in exchange for your comfort._ ” Willow paused, taking a sip from their cup. “ _ **He**_ _is not one to prattle._ _ **He**_ _believes in actions; your coupling was_ _ **him**_ _saying what_ _ **he**_ _could not bring_ _ **himself**_ _to say_.”

 

“P-Please stop, I...” You had lost your battle with tears but mercy seemed foreign to Willow.

 

“ _I watched_ _ **him**_ _write_ _ **his**_ _ridiculous letter, agonizing over what to say without speaking in that funny way that all humans do. It is an archaic form of communication, though it seems to encourage honesty_.” They rolled their eyes. “ _Many problems of your kind could be solved by simply speaking to one another, but where is the poetry in that?_ ” Willow cleared their throat, folding their gloved hands beside their teacup. “ _I am here because you called me. I am not here to scold. I am here to say what needs to be said before you do something that would be detrimental to your health._ ”

 

Your head snapped up and you glanced at the being across from you with a fair amount of trepidation.

 

Willow fixed you with a stern look. “ _Yes, I am aware._ _ **He**_ _has promised to return, so_ _ **he**_ _will. And if only for my own entertainment, I expect you to meet_ _ **him**_ _head on and make_ _ **him**_ _regret leaving at all. Which you cannot do languishing away in your lonely castle with your precious vegetables._ ”

 

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” You asked plainly, wiping your nose on your sleeve.

 

“ _Care for yourself as you see fit. But...do it better._ ” Willow replied. “ _You must present a vengeful lioness, not a floundering gazelle_.” They stood, and the tea set was abruptly gone. “ _I will take my leave, 'get back behind my line', as_ _ **he**_ _would say. I have thoroughly enjoyed this visit. Even though I did not eat you_.” Their tone was playful but still sent shivers down your spine. You got up from your chair by force of habit to open the door and Willow waved you off. “ _I saw myself in, I can see myself out. If anything happens, all you have to do is call. Oh._ ” They paused in the doorway, tugging on the corner of their mask as if they were doffing a cap. “ _And merry Christmas, Ebeneezer_.”

 

…

 

It was mid-January when you started to show real signs of neglect. You personally had _known_ for months but having actual proof was...it was difficult.

 

_Vengeful lioness, my ass_. You thought ruefully as you stood in front of your bedroom mirror, turning this way and that. It wasn't _incredibly_ pronounced yet, but you knew it was only a matter of weeks before your weight would drop beyond hiding in baggy clothes. This was legitimately terrifying, all the negative emotions twisted up in a knot in your sternum. You couldn't help thinking of that _Alien_ movie, where the creature burst out of the human's chest to the abject horror of the audience.

 

This wasn't science fiction, however. Granted, you had struggled with your weight before, but you had been _much_ younger. It had been easier to bounce back then. Now you weren't so sure.

 

You sat down on the bed, staring at your hands for a while. _What if he doesn't want me? Can I even_ _ **do**_ _this on my own anymore?_ That was your biggest fear. If you tried to be careful for this whole time, tried to keep yourself healthy instead of giving in to the little voice that told you to stay in bed, told you that you weren't hungry, only to have Jeff react poorly...

 

“ _Never want to forget how you feel, never want to forget_ _ **you**_ _, darlin'._ ”

 

You straightened up. He'd said over and over in his letter that he didn't want to forget. He'd said that he would come back. _He didn't know about this side of me. He doesn't know_ _ **anything**_ _about me._ You frowned. _Never mind what people around here will say if I start showing up to work looking like a fucking skeleton._

 

You got up and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. All this sitting around thinking wasn't doing you any good, not when there were seedlings to water, _and_ you still needed to eat lunch. You stared out the window over the sink as you carefully spritzed the tiny plants in equally tiny trays. It was still cold and rainy out, but the fog was promising. The ground was warming up.

 

_Spring_.

 

One thing was for certain, once Jeff and his kin returned all hell was bound to break loose and you were _not_ looking forward to it in the slightest.

 

…

 

March came and you walked on eggshells for half the month before deciding that it just wasn't fucking _worth_ it. He would show up when he would ( _if he did at all_ ) and no amount of tiptoeing or overthinking was going to change that.

 

You slipped into a sort of...resigned state. Not so much a depression this time, but a coming to terms with the fact that you were almost definitely on your own here. You knew you could be in _much_ worse shape, yes, you forced yourself to eat most days but...it could always be worse.

 

Five and a half months, almost six. You devoured all the information you could get your hands on, the digital copy of _The_ _Year-Round Vegetable Gardener_ residing happily on your phone to be pulled up during lunch breaks or for cross-referencing with _The Edible Garden_. Not for the first time you mourned your lack of nearby relatives, as you had no one to really bounce garden ideas off of. No sage wisdom from aunts or uncles, no cautionary tales from grandparents. You really were alone here.

 

It was...crushing sometimes. The weight of loneliness back on you all of a sudden just because you'd _cared_ , because you'd _been_ lonely and you believed some pretty promises of never forgetting (admittedly, you still wanted to believe them). You tried not to think about it too much, though. Your bed had been made, you and Jeff fell into it and now, with or without him, you were carrying on. If anything, you were impressed with yourself, with how far you'd gotten even as entangled as you were in your habits. _I can do this_.

 

Every day you got out of bed was another day you succeeded in trying, every day you took your vitamins, ate some breakfast and did your stretches was another positive step forward. And every day it seemed to become easier to do. No hair falling out, no dental problems (yet, fingers crossed on that one).

 

You were determined to live for yourself and, more importantly, your garden, as March drew to a close. Seedlings had grown into tough little plants and you rose extra early on the second of April to start the process of getting everything in the ground.

 

You had a new pair of work gloves, gifted to you by Señor Benjamin once he noticed your drop in weight, the older man stating firmly that, “ _you shouldn't be playing around in the dirt without gloves, think of your health!_ ” His protective tendencies were more kindly than belittling, and he always had so many questions about _how are you doing, have you eaten today?_ when he came to visit the store. It was heartwarming and oftentimes those conversations were the highlight of your day.

 

You pulled on your high boots, tugged on your new gloves and brought a baseball cap outside for added protection. You'd heard that anemic or underfed people could get sunburned easier. You'd heard nearly _everything_ at this point, you felt.

 

You were relatively comfortable. The weather wasn't too hot yet, the long-sleeved shirt you'd put on was over-sized enough to allow you to move freely and you'd rolled up the legs of your leggings to the knees. They'd been getting a lot of use these days, seeing as how they were one of the few pairs of pants you owned that would still fit decently on your thinner hips. You rubbed the chilled skin of your stomach beneath your shirt absently as you marked where you would put things in the garden on your layout.

 

You were so focused you didn't hear the whine of the drone until it was practically on top of you. You watched it go zipping over your garden and all your nerves came flooding back in a tidal wave of fear. _Vengeful lioness, c'mon!_ You scolded yourself, slowly getting to your feet. You debated momentarily on just going inside, locking the door and hiding away for the next couple of...forever. You could definitely live in the dark by yourself. It was probably a lot simpler than all those horror films made it out to be, right? And you'd never go back outside, _ever_ , especially if--

 

“Darlin'?” You squared your shoulders, hands clenching tight at your sides. Behind you, you heard Jeff clear his throat. “I...darlin', can you turn around?”

 

“ _Don't_ call me that.” Every ounce the angry predator. Willow must be _thrilled_.

 

“A-Alright. I won't. I'm sorry.” He apologized, sounding shaken. “ _God_ , I know you're pissed with me but it's good to hear your voice.” Jeff swallowed hard. “I told you when I came back I'd fuckin' scoop you up, hold you tight even if you hate me. I know I deserve ya' vitriol but I sure as shit don't deserve to touch you, an' I'm here now so hit me with whatever you've got. I ain't goin' anywhere.”

 

“Yeah? Well maybe _I_ am.” You snapped, still not bothering to face him. You knew if you turned around you would probably start bawling. You pretended to be studying your layout chart. “What makes you feel so entitled to _my_ time, Jeff? Last I checked, _you're_ the one that left.”

 

“We had to put Decay in the ground for the final time. We had to go on...well, like I said, a pilgrimage. I had a lot of things to fuckin’ appease before I could fix Matt. But I did it, he and I _both_ did it. He's _whole_ again, whole as he was before. I don't have the guilt of almost destroying his family hangin' over my head like the sword a' Damocles, and I'm... _Christ_ , I'm so sorry. Please, _please_ turn around so I can talk to you.”

 

You shook your head. There was a dull ' _thud_ ' behind you that made you flinch.

 

“ _Please_ , I'm fuckin' beggin', I don't care if you holler at me until you're blue in the face and I'm deaf as a post, please d... _please_.” Jeff implored. “It took me two fuckin' seconds to realize that I was going to be miserable without you, watchin' Reb an' Matt with Maxel and just achin' on the inside because maybe, maybe if I hadn't been such a _jackass_ in the first place and busted Matt's head I might have had the chance to be happy with you. But I ruined everythin' for myself by bein' an arrogant asshole, wreckin' Matt _and_ I hurt you. I can't even tell which one is fuckin' worse.”

 

You clenched your hands even tighter around the sheet of paper you held, threatening to rip it. “You could have woken me up.” You said softly.

 

“I wouldn't have left then. I _barely_ managed to when you were asleep. I kept askin' myself whether my happiness was worth Matt's family bein' fucked up forever and that would ground me but then I'd look back at you and I'd just...” Jeff's voice trembled. “I...It was the hardest fuckin' thing in the world to leave you, I promise that. But I had to do right by my brother.”

 

“Why should I believe you?”

 

“I-I can ask Reb or Matt to come over, you ain't gotta' take my word for it this time. Shit, I can even start from the beginning and explain everything, if you want to hear it.”

 

“Comforting.”

 

“Please, darlin', I--”

 

“I said, _don't call me that!_ ” You yelled, thoroughly fed up with the bullshit. You angrily turned on your heel, already in the process of gathering up more choice words to unleash.

 

Jeff was kneeling with his head bowed and his hands in his lap, looking like a man brought before the guillotine. Your words caught in your throat as you watched his shoulders shudder violently with near-silent sobs and mumbles of, “ _sorry, so fuckin' sorry_ ”.

 

_Vengeful lioness_.

 

“ _Look_ at me, Jeff.” You demanded once you were sure your voice would stay steady.

 

He glanced up quickly, looked down, and then...slowly his head came back up, so slowly. You bit your lip as blue eyes full of tears mapped your face, as his mouth opened. “I--”

 

“Is it everything you'd ever _fucking_ dreamed of?” You cut him off. “Everything you ever hoped for, Jeff?”

 

“I...don't understand.” Jeff said hesitantly.

 

“Get up and come over here.” You ordered. He bolted to his feet, almost tripping over himself in his haste to obey. He spread his arms for a hug but you shook your head, taking one of his hands by the wrist instead. You lowered it to your baggy shirt and...

 

Jeff flinched back after feeling the sharp jut of your hip through the fabric.

 

Well. That was definitely a less than _favorable_ reaction.

 

His whole body had gone tight; you could feel the uneasy shift of tendons in his wrist before you dropped his hand. “Why?” He asked finally, and he had the _gall_ to sound hurt.

 

Jeff was reeling almost before you even realized you'd punched him in the jaw, your knuckles and wrist alight with pain from the sudden blow. You were pretty sure you'd never been this outraged in your entire _life_. “You _abandoned_ me, Hardy, what the fuck do you _mean_ , ‘why'?!” You cried.

 

The look on his face directly after you'd decked him was priceless, but the look he sported _now_ put it to shame. It was confusion, mixed with something that could _definitely_ be described as sadness. You didn't get very long to admire your handiwork though as you found yourself embraced fiercely.

 

You squirmed in the tiny amount of room you had, doing your best to beat your fists against his chest. “I hate you! I hate you for leaving and I hate myself for letting this happen and I _hate_ you for looking at me like that, _I hate you!_ ” You broke down crying even while you were still ranting about hating him, breath hitching as you sobbed into his shirt.

 

“Oh Jesus, oh fuckin' Jesus, no, shh.” Jeff didn't seem to notice your pitiful attempts to continue kicking his ass, cupping the back of your head and cradling you to his chest. “You're thin as a fuckin' rail, you're gonna' make yourself sick if you keep cryin', please, _please_.” He tried to calm you as best as he could, his own voice wavering. “I'm never leaving you again, hear me? I came over here to beg your forgiveness. I'm still beggin' but _shit_ , let me take care of you. If not me, at least let Reb or Matt. Feel like you're goin' t' pieces in my arms.”

 

You shook your head, still furious. “Would s-serve you right if I d-did.” You hiccuped. All Jeff did was hold you even tighter and stroke your hair. “Serve you right if I just disappeared.”

 

“No, don’t say that kinda’ shit. I _need_ you. _Jesus_ , I need you like I ain’t never needed anybody else before. Let me help you.” Jeff pleaded, pressing his forehead to your own. “Let me help. I’ll get you healthy again in no time, I promise.” He took a deep breath. “Matt an’ Reb…they know I left you. They know and they know _why_ I did it and Matt _still_ threatened to kick my ass. He called me a coward, a liar, everythin’ under the sun. A total punkass for abandoning you after…after everything.”

 

You snorted, trying to pull away again.

 

“Reb said you’d be traumatized and that she was disappointed in me.” _That_ got your attention. “I hadn’t thought about it beyond worrying if you would be sad or angry with me. You were so strong when you dealt with Matt and when you stood up to Rosemary, I-I assumed you wouldn’t really...uh…well, I figured you would just be angry and ready to kick my ass when I came back. I ain't never been the smarter Hardy.”

 

“You didn’t think I would get depressed and turn into a fucking skeleton, now did you?” You asked bitterly. “No, _you_ were worried about me being 'sad' or 'angry'. At least, until Reby yelled at you. Funny how _that_ works.”

 

“I’m an idiot. I’ve admitted that more times than I can count during the last few months. I’m an idiot and a terrible person for leavin’, I’m an idiot for hurtin’ my brother, I’m an idiot and a _bastard_ for havin’ sex with you and telling you I didn’t want to forget you an’ then just. Hiein’ off to parts unfuckingknown with my shattered brother.” Jeff said quietly. “Knowing you cared about me, though…shit, sometimes that was the only thing that pulled me back up off the ground durin’ this whole thing. Knowing that you care, or at least you did before I left, an’ hoping you’d be waitin’ to kick the shit out of me for bein’ dumb enough to leave you when I came back. Fixing my brother via trial by combat ain’t the easiest shit I’ve done, but I wouldn’t change a thing about all the fights.” Jeff tapped the side of his head. “Now he and I are whole again. No more Brother Nero, no more _deleting_ me or setting me on fire or kicking the shit outta’ each other.”

 

“What makes you think I care?”

 

“You’re still here in my arms, ain’t you?” You shoved against his chest as hard as you could and all it did was make him shift a step. “Jesus, please tell me you’re fuckin’ around.”

 

“I’ve lost a lot of weight in a relatively unhealthy fashion. Muscle mass kind of goes hand in hand with that.” You pointed out. You didn’t expect him to look so _destroyed_. “What?”

 

“You coulda’ died. Could have wasted away and fuckin’ _died_ while I was off doing this. You’re so fucking strong and I almost killed you. _Christ_.” Jeff muttered, almost like he was talking to himself. “You threw hands at fuckin’ Rosemary like it wasn’t anything, like she wasn’t the bitch that spits acid and _my_ dumb ass almost did you in. I…I’m so sorry I put you through this.” He cupped your face, turning it gently to the side. “Fuck, _fuck_ , look at you.” Jeff wiped some of the tears off your cheek with his thumb. “Look at you, what the hell have I _done_ to you?”

 

“Please stop. I know what I look like, Jeff.” You mumbled into his shirt. “I've been doing better. Señor Benjamin started checking up on me ever since I…well, I got all gaunt and I think I worried him. I’m sure he’s over there telling Matt and Reby that I haven’t been myself.” Jeff actually released you when you pulled away this time. “I haven’t had a problem with…this, for a while.” You said, painfully slow. “I used to much more often, when I was younger.”

 

“Issues with eatin’?” Jeff asked, sounding confused. “You…I mean I never noticed-”

 

“I _have_ been actively trying to avoid this outcome, Jeff. Doing my best. I take my supplements and sometimes I _can_ eat, but most of the time I just…I don’t want to.” You gestured at the dirt beneath your boots. “I grow my own food as a therapeutic process. I hate wasting food so I preserve stuff and eat good, pretty-colored things and it makes it a little easier. Winter is always hard.” You shrugged. “For me _and_ the plants, I guess.”

 

“Y'know, I've had...um.” Jeff seemed uncomfortable, twisting his fingers back and forth nervously before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Problems, kinda' like this. Different reasons, but I used to drop weight like a brick and...I mean, I can _help_ , Matt too, he was around when I was like that.” He looked like he was attempting to worry a hole through his lower lip.

 

You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest as you saw Matt and Reby making their way through the woods behind him. Maxel had grown so much since you’d last seen him, a bona-fide toddler now walking along with almost sure steps.

 

Matt waved to you, smiling broadly once he got close enough. “Hello! I…” Matt began, then paused, glancing at Jeff. “Can I have a minute alone with them?”

 

Jeff wordlessly retreated to where Reby waited at the edge of the woods, his shoulders slumped.

 

When Matt spoke again he kept his voice deliberately low. “We haven’t met while I was in my right mind. But I remember you. _And_ I remember what you did for my family.” He sounded so normal it threw you for a loop. No strange accent or medieval-sounding words. “Jeff made the mistake of mentioning to us how he…left you. He did everything for my sake but as usual, he has all the the delicacy of a bull in a fucking china shop.” Matt met your eyes, but only just. “You…I imagine it was difficult. I’m sorry.”

 

“I've definitely been better.” You replied, raising an eyebrow. “You seem healthy as a horse.”

 

“Yes, thanks to my little brother. He...it was so hard on him, on my family. I don't remember some of the things I did, and Jeff doesn't appear interested in telling me.” Matt grimaced. “Regardless of what he did, the pieces I _can_ remember don't exactly paint me in a good light.”

 

You shifted uncomfortably. Why on _earth_ was he telling you all of this? You would give anything to just go back to your plants.

 

“I...I speak to you today as a total stranger. And I have to ask something of you. There is a final process to solidify my recovery.” Matt said hesitantly. “A sort of _new_ _beginning_ ritual, if you will. Reby and I were hoping...I mean, after all you've done for us, we know it's pretty audacious of us to ask anything of you but we _were_ hoping we could convince you to be the Hardy's guest of honor at the ceremony tonight.”

 

You blinked up at the man, confused. “You...what, you guys having another bonfire or something?”

 

“A little more elaborate than that, but the concept seems about right. We have talked on it for a while and both Rebecca and I agree that no one is better suited for this than the one who had nothing and nearly gave everything, who kept House Hardy from falling that dark night.” Matt's face grew sad. “I am sorry we could not be present during this hard stretch that you've had.”

 

You waved off his concern. “I did this to myself. I'm better now.”

 

“Will you do us this honor, then? It will be a more... _formal_ gathering. Rebecca has offered to style your hair, if you would like.” He gestured toward his wife, who waved and smiled.

 

“Oh, gosh, I...um...I don't have anything to wear, really. I've never dealt with anything too formal.” Your whole face went pink with embarrassment. “You have to understand, I don't want to make you guys look bad if this is a big deal.”

 

“Please, don't even worry about it. The honor of your presence is more than enough, trust me.” Matt seemed overjoyed when you finally nodded, calling Reby over with Maxel. Jeff stayed put at the edge of the woods, appearing to busy himself watching Vanguard One weave through the tree trunks.

 

You only realized you were staring when Reby gently put a hand on your shoulder. Maxel cooed and wiggled from his spot balanced on her hip. “Did he at least apologize?” Reby asked quietly. Matt looked over at his wife, confused at the change of subject.

 

You nodded, feeling melancholy close up your throat. “I punched him.” You managed to admit.

 

Matt, to your surprise, absolutely _roared_ with laughter, barely stopping himself from slapping you on the back. “Holy shit, you did _not!_ That’s amazing.”

 

“He asked me why I looked like this! I just…I don’t know, I lashed out. It was stupid of me.” You mumbled. “It’s been a long time. I…obviously I still _care_ about him even if I don’t want to. I wouldn’t have walloped him in the jaw if I didn’t care, y’know?”

 

Reby gave Matt a _look_ over Maxel’s head and then shifted the baby to her other hip. Maxel quieted down, eyes studying your face with that customary ‘young child’ seriousness. You smiled at him, offering a little wave. The boy thrashed, starting to put up a fuss and Reby let him stand on his own.

 

Maxel was off like a shot, staggering steps across the uneven terrain of your yet-to-be-planted garden. “Matt, make sure he doesn’t get into anything he shouldn’t.” Reby ordered. Matt grumbled but headed after his son, quickly hoisting the little boy up into the air. You watched him go, watched him interact with the protesting Maxel and you felt…you weren’t sure what it was. Your eyes burned with tears and you quickly looked away from Matt and Maxel.

 

Reby caught your chin before you could stare at the ground, her own eyes kind and knowing. “Jeff will be at tonight’s ceremony, of course. He’s a big part of it. I understand, _obviously_ better than Matt does, that being around him may be painful. You don’t have to come if it will be too much for you.” She said quietly over the airplane noises Matt was making. “I understand that it’s selfish to ask you to deal with anything else.”

 

“I…I just don’t really have anything to wear. What if I look silly or embarrass you guys?” You asked, staunchly avoiding looking at Jeff.

 

Reby smiled a little differently this time. _Vengeful lioness_. “Leave that up to me, sweetheart.”

 


	4. The Garden Blooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Restructured the ending and beginning points between chapter one and two, they seemed a bit unbalanced. Enjoy!
> 
> [TRIGGER WARNING!: For occasionally vivid descriptions of unspecified eating disorder(s) and brief allusions to drug usage.]

You weren't sure how to feel as Reby zipped up the back of your lone black dress. “I really want to cry but you spent so much time making my face look good.” You whispered, making her laugh.

 

“ _Why_ do you want to cry? You look amazing!”

 

And it was true, you looked _incredible_. You barely recognized yourself. Reby was obviously a master of her craft. “I don't think I've ever liked my face or hair this much.” You replied honestly.

 

Reby shook her head. “You have a wonderful face and beautiful hair. You're so silly.” She said, patting your cheek carefully. She seemed a little worried as she gave you a once-over, tugging your dress so it sat better on your shoulders. “How do you feel? Will you be warm enough in this? You can still say no, you know.”

 

“I...I want to go.” You said determinedly. “I mean, I'm scared I'll flub something but if you guys want me there-”

 

“Of course we do! After everything that you did?” Reby made a noise of disbelief. “You go wait in the living room with the boys, alright? Tell them I'll be right there. Just have to fix my contours.”

 

You nodded, leaving after glancing at yourself in the mirror one last time. As you moved to the stairs you could already hear Matt talking to Jeff in the living room.

 

“...another painting, like the one you did for my bedroom. But it's got to be big enough to hang over the mantel. Rebecca loved the theme so if you want you can just continue it.”

 

“Whatever you want, Matt. I...shit, I'm just happy you're back.” Jeff's voice was quieter and you paused at the top of the stairs, straining to hear. “I can't say it hasn't been rough. I would understand if Reb wanted to annihilate me.”

 

“She knew it was an accident, Jeff. And I assume you managed to convince her you'd go through hell or high water to fix me.” Matt joked. “I...hey, hey, easy. It's alright, c'mere.”

 

You heard a shuddering sob and you closed your eyes tightly, inhaling through your nose.

 

“Christ little bro, don't go to pieces on me _just_ yet, okay?” Matt sounded somewhat choked-up himself.

 

“I ruined e-everythin', Matt, _everything_ , they _hate_ me and I just-”

 

“No way. You quit this self-pity shit, Jeff. You're stronger than that, knock it off.”

 

You felt that you'd eavesdropped long enough and proceeded to head down the stairs as loudly as you could to alert the two men of your presence. Maxel made a surprise appearance at the doorway of the living room, staring up at you. He looked very dapper in a bright purple shirt with a soft green vest over it, and you made sure to tell him as much when you knelt down to his level. The little boy was obviously still a bit wary of you, teetering momentarily before pulling a one-eighty turn and heading back to where his father and uncle stood beside the mantel.

 

“Maxel! Don't be rude, when a lovely individual compliments you on your vest, normally, as a _gentleman_ , you say thank you!” Matt scolded, turning his son back around. Maxel waved his arms in the air, giggling at the new game Matt was apparently playing. Matt sighed, shrugging at you. “Well, I tried.” He continued to spin Maxel, slow enough that he could keep his footing. “You do look _great_. I guess that dress you had was just fine, huh?”

 

“That and all the manual labor Reby put in as far as my face goes.” You said, laughing when Matt gestured with his free hand for you to spin as well.

 

“Show off for us, huh?”

 

Suddenly feeling shy, you couldn't help the way you glanced at Jeff. The other man seemed to be in a staring contest with the mantel and you fumbled to smooth out the skirt of your dress again. “The both of you look very...” You squinted, trying to smile.

 

“Professional, right?” Matt winked.

 

“Yeah, that's what I was going to say.” _Definitely not_ _ **weird**_ _._ Matt was wearing that familiar gray and black velvet coat with a matching pair of pants, his hair semi-tamed in a bun, while Jeff was clad in loose black pants paired with an almost _skintight_ black long-sleeved shirt that bore strange, twining patterns on the sleeves. A white rag spattered with vibrant paint hung out of the younger brother's back pocket, but it looked less like an actual cleaning implement and more like an accessory.

 

You caught Jeff's eyes when he finally looked up, tilting your head to the side. “What do you think, Jeff?” You knew it was cruel but you couldn't help wanting to make him squirm, even if just a _tiny_ bit. _Vengeful lioness._

 

Jeff looked torn, the mumbled, “ _You're beautiful_ ,” a little too heartfelt for you to feel comfortable with continuing to tease him. So you obliged with the requested turn, biting your lip. _Beautiful_.

 

“He's right, you really do look fantastic.” Matt agreed, raising his eyes to rest on something behind you. “And _there_ is my Queen Rebecca.”

 

“I don't know about this dress, Matt, I--”

 

Matt silenced his wife's concerns with a peck on the mouth. “You are ravishing as always, my love. _Never_ worry about that. You could wear a burlap sack and put everyone to shame as far as I'm concerned.” He smiled, pressing his forehead to hers. Maxel hugged her leg, bouncing up and down.

 

Jeff glanced at you and you held his gaze, raising an eyebrow. He looked like he was about to say something and then Matt raised his arm to rest it on his shoulder. Jeff flinched, gritting his teeth for a split second. You watched his shoulders relax back down after a minute, as though he had been waiting for Matt to...do something.

 

' _Matt would_ _ **never**_ _lay a hand on Maxel or Reb!_ '

 

_Yeah let's avoid that train of thought._ You frowned at yourself.

 

“Alright, are we all set? I have his backpack right here so I wouldn't forget it this time.” Matt said finally, hefting the overstuffed, brightly-colored pack from its spot on the floor. He scooped Maxel up as well, his son continuing to bounce even once he was in Matt's arms.

 

Jeff didn't seem able to hide his smile, reaching out so Maxel could grab his hand and shake it back and forth. “Look at you go, little guy!” He grinned, making Maxel babble happily. “Almost as excited as Daddy and I, huh?”

 

“This will be a night to remember.” Matt agreed, gesturing to draw you close. “We must ask for a blessing before the travel. A custom, you understand.” He explained. Reby straightened out the shoulders of your dress again as Matt bowed his head, placing his hand on the top of Maxel's head. “Seven Deities, we call upon you yet again. Your loyal servants embark on a new journey and we _implore_ you grant us your protection and strength.” Matt intoned. “I am no longer your vessel, no longer _empowered_ as such and so I must beg a boon. Astarr, Brohare! Chall, Cohle, Gustavo! Neric, Sirko!”

 

He paused and Jeff proceeded smoothly, “We had ended, and now we begin again. The sun has set on one life, we beg for the sun to rise on the next. Grant us the courage we need, the will to continue, keep the ones we love safe and keep our bodies whole.” He also laid his hand on Maxel's head, over Matt's. “Protect this little one, he is our flesh and blood. Protect Rebecca, the queen of Matt's life. Protect Matthew, my brother, the master of his own destiny.” Jeff hesitated. “Protect...protect our neighbor, they have been through so much at our hands.”

 

“Seven Deities, I beg that you protect Jeffrey, my brother. Make us as one, and grant us victory tonight.” Matt dragged Jeff in to touch their foreheads together. “No longer master and slave, but brothers once more.”

 

A shiver ran through you at their words. This...didn't sound like theatrics. You wondered wildly for a moment if you were invited along because they needed a _human_ _sacrifice_ or something like that, but you just as quickly dismissed the notion. You'd heard elaborate prayers before. Pontificating relatives at funerals, weepy well-wishes after one too many drinks. But this...it just seemed so much more heartfelt, compared to everything else you had experienced.

 

Reby squeezed your hand, smiling at you. “Ready?”

 

“As ready as I'll ever be.” You replied, trying your best to smile back.

 

You didn't expect for Matt to open the front door and grab onto one side of his patiently-waiting drone.

 

You narrowed your eyes, debating (not for the first time) whether you were the only person here with a decently firm grasp on reality. “What the everloving shit.”

 

A laugh burst out of Jeff. He'd obviously been waiting for your reaction. “I promise, it ain't as dumb as it looks. Just latch on.” He said once he had himself back under control, reaching for your hand. Fingers curled gingerly around your own and he placed your hand on the drone, nodding to Matt once he did. “We're good. You uh, you might want to close your eyes.” Jeff added to you. “Can be a little much.”

 

_Yeah this doesn't seem crazy at all._ You obeyed almost instantly, resigned to the eventuality that when you opened your eyes you were going to be in your bed, staring up at the ceiling as your alarm chimed in your ear.

 

There was a momentary absence of noise, around four seconds. Enough that you noticed. Then sound swelled back up, louder than you expected. It sounded almost like... _cheering_ , but muffled and distant.

 

Beside you, you heard Jeff inhale and his whole body shuddered. “Christ, Matt.”

 

“I know, it's absolutely _exhilarating_. Vanguard my friend, we'll need a lift after the ceremony but until then, feel free to see the sights.”

 

You cautiously opened your eyes and you were greeted with the sight of a cramped hallway as the white drone zipped away. Well. This was...not what you'd been expecting on at least two fronts. “Where are we?” You asked, feeling almost like you should be annoyed with the fact that Jeff hadn't let go of your hand yet.

 

“The ceremony, of course! From the sound of things though, we may be a bit early. C'mon, let's find the curtain.” Matt urged, leading your ragtag group along.

 

_I feel like two years ago, teleportation would have been more...inaccessible? Exciting? Both?_ You mused, grudgingly allowing Jeff to guide you while you thought.

 

“Ah, security! Yes it's us, of _course_ it's us. Where do we need to queue up, I assume we're not late just yet?” Matt was speaking with a man in a black polo shirt, who nodded and gave him directions to ' _gorilla position_ ', which you assumed must have been some kind of code. Unless this was a zoo?

 

You had so many questions, so you finally ended up pulling your hand out of Jeff's grip. The man stopped immediately, turning around and cocking his head. Matt and Reby continued on, oblivious to the fact that they were a party of three now instead of five. “What the heck is going _on_ , Jeff?” You whispered. “What _is_ this place, this ceremony that's supposed to happen?”

 

Jeff looked absolutely ecstatic, his smile pure excitement like a small child's. “It's gonna' be great, I promise dar...I promise. It's kinda' a surprise though. Can you trust me for a little while longer?” He asked hopefully. You crossed your arms over your chest and Jeff's smile faded. “I...shit, I don't know what to do here. Th-that dress is amazin'. You in it is also amazin'. You're...you're seriously the most beautiful person I ever come across, havin' you here for this is surreal and I just--” Jeff shrugged. “Sorry, I'll shut up. M' sorry. We're almost to the right point anyhow. You'll see what's up in a minute. Promise.”

 

“I mean I'm not against you continuing to talk about how great I am, if you're waxing poetic.”

 

Jeff's grin bordered on _blinding_. “Is...are you jokin' with me? Was that a joke? It was, yeah?!”

 

“ _Maybe._ ” You answered reluctantly. “Look, Jeff, I won't sugarcoat this crap. You hurt me. You hurt me a _lot_ by leaving, I know you at least understand that much. So I don't know if we can ever be...what you might still want. What I wanted. But...yeah, I _was_ joking with you.”

 

“S' more than I deserve. A thousan' times more than what I deserve. I...thank you.” Jeff said sincerely. He held out his hand. “May I?”

 

You looked at him for a moment. Looked down at his hand, then back up at his face. “I guess. As long as you keep talking about how good I look.”

 

His fingers twined through your own, roots into the dirt. “Gladly.”

 

…

 

All the training in the world couldn't have prepared you for what greeted you on the other side of the curtain.

 

It was like a Colosseum of old, high walls stretching to the darkening sky, absolutely _packed_ with people. Your eyes widened and then Jeff released your hand. The thunderous roar of the crowd threatened to deafen you, but even with that distraction you couldn't tear your gaze away from Jeff.

 

Bass rhythm thrummed through your whole body and the dance he started into was _almost_ ridiculous. You got the feeling that no one else would be able to pull it off, the gyrations of his hips and the way his teeth were bared in a fierce grin changing it from strange to absolutely warlike. Matt spread his arms wide in greeting and the arena chanted something in reply, it sounded like _DELETE_ , it sounded like _HARDY_ , it sounded like _WELCOME BACK_.

 

A tiny hand grabbed at your own and you looked down at Maxel. The little boy didn't seem to have any issues with the sound and you wondered at that for a second before letting yourself be pulled along by the smallest Hardy. Reby had his other hand, looking every ounce the regal queen in her shimmering black gown, even with the small neon pack slung over one shoulder. The ramp down to the floor of the arena looked like it stretched for eons, but before you knew it you had reached the base, where some kind of fighting ring had been set up. Jeff boldly took your hand again, leading you to sit beside Reby. He chucked Maxel under the chin, smiled at you one last time and then moved to follow his brother.

 

Numerous individuals who appeared just as... _colorful_ as Jeff and Matt were already in the roped-off ring, all of them bearing nearly-identical expressions of awe and confusion. You were more confused about the _ladders_ , to be honest, why were there _ladders?_ Was this going to be an actual fight? Jeff and Matt had said nothing about a fight, just a ceremony.

 

“ _Fixing my brother via trial by combat ain’t the easiest shit I’ve done, but I wouldn’t change a thing about all the fights._ ” _Trial by combat_. _A new beginning ritual_. “ _Grant us victory tonight_.”

 

Your eyes widened as everything clicked, as Matt stripped off his coat and climbed into the ring beside his brother to the joy of the very vocal crowd. They faced off across from the other individuals in the ring, Matt making a sharp, slashing motion with his hand that ignited more calls of _DELETE_. It looked like Matt said, “ _delightful!_ ” though you couldn't exactly _hear_ him over the chants of _THIS IS AWESOME_. Jeff took up the motion, rotating in a circle so he could observe the whole arena.

 

You had no idea what was about to happen but you got the feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.

 

The enthusiasm Matt and Jeff had was _electric_ , the crowd screaming their approval for the two men as they fought against an incredibly tall man and his lightning-fast partner, a dynamic duo of shaven-headed individuals, the _strongest_ looking ginger you'd ever seen and a man with athletic tape wrapped around his shoulder. The goal seemed to be the two ornate belts which hung in the air a dizzying height above the ring. Set up your ladder, climb it, grab the belts. Not nearly as simple as it sounded, especially when contending with six other men.

 

You were on the edge of your seat as they went back and forth. The usage of ladders was _breathtaking_ , death defying stunts performed right in front of you! You could hardly believe what you were watching. Jeff fought with his teeth bared in that furious grin and Matt couldn't seem to stop smiling himself, the two working as a seamless team even in the face of such adversity.

 

It all came down to a tense moment with Jeff balanced precariously at the very top of a twenty-foot-tall ladder, his arms spread wide. He touched his fingers to his lips and blew you a kiss, mouthed what looked like, “ _and in this moment_ ”, then proceeded to somersault in an effortlessly graceful manner onto the large ginger and the man with the taped shoulder, sending the three of them crashing through the ladders they'd been laying on.

 

You felt like everything ground to a halt as Jeff laid there motionless in a heap of twisted metal and bodies. Your mind flew back to when you had found him on the lawn, doubled over and perforated by Abyss, when he came up out of the water _deleted_ and _docile_ in exchange for healing his body.

 

You pressed your hands to your mouth, barely realizing that Matt had unbuckled the belts from their lofty perch and now held them over his head, basking in the glory of their victory. Jeff finally, _finally_ stirred, shaking his head and opening his eyes. He blinked, looking rattled, before that smile was back and he was pulling himself to his feet, doing his best to stagger back into the ring to celebrate with his brother.

 

Matt grabbed his arm and tugged him upright, handing him one of the belts and then pressing their foreheads together. They wore identical grins, Jeff closing his eyes and hugging his brother tightly when Matt said something to him.

 

They stood shoulder to shoulder and held up their belts while the arena indicated its raucous glee in the outcome of the match, a constant roll of _DELETE_ and _BRO-THER NE-RO_ and _BRO-KEN MATT_ keeping the deafening volume at full capacity. Reby seemed just as excited as you were, hoisting Maxel high so he could see his father and uncle standing tall.

 

_It is done, vengeful lioness_.

 

You had no idea where the certainty came from, but it was ironclad and left no room for doubt. You clapped for Matt and Jeff, even managing to muster up a smile when Jeff looked your way.

 

His eyes flickered for a second, shifting to Willow's white-blue, and they winked cheekily at you from Jeff's body before he shook his head again and looked confused.

 

It seemed like _everyone_ knew your neighbors. Then again, the arena looked like _everyone_ had been invited to witness their ceremony so it wasn't exactly surprising. Matt gathered his wife and son up in a tight hug once he stepped out of the ring while Jeff hobbled to stand awkwardly beside you. You twiddled your fingers and peeped over at him, catching him in the process of looking away.

 

“So uh...I think it was a success.” He began. You could hardly believe that after all _that_ , he was going to try and make small talk as his brother and sister-in-law celebrated with a family hug. You were glad that he wasn't _expecting_ anything from you, but he'd pulled off something that seemed _unthinkable_. “Should be fine now.” He rubbed the side of his head, wincing. “Got a pounder starting but--”

 

You couldn't take any more of his nervous chit-chat, wrapping your arms around his waist to hug him as tight as you could (hopefully) without hurting him. Jeff sucked in a breath, seeming startled. You stayed put and after a moment, his hand slowly stroked over your hair.

 

“Thank you for coming, darlin'. It helps if I got someone t' show off for.” His face didn't mirror his cocky words when you chanced a glance up and your heart twisted in your chest. He looked like he was about to start crying. He draped the ornate belt over your shoulder, mustering up a weak smile. “Looks better on you anyhow.”

 

“You're ridiculous.” Your fingers mapped the designs tooled into the leather, smoothed over the raised metal plates.

 

“No denyin' that.” Jeff agreed, his hand moving to cover your own on the belt. “Absolutely no denying that.”

 

You couldn't even _believe_ the day you'd had. You woke up in the morning and everything was normal. Same hard time eating breakfast, same tall boots by the door, same tilled patch of dirt outside.

 

But now here you were, apparently in _Florida_ , rubbing elbows with a family that you hadn't been sure you'd ever see again, a guest of honor at their most important trial by combat. Jeff's fingers were wrapped loosely around your own as he, Reby and Matt talked excitedly with three young men wearing matching outfits. You lost track of how many people you met, how many people you were introduced to as, “ _the hero of_ _House Hardy_.” You leaned carefully into Jeff's side, surprised when he dropped an arm over your shoulders and pulled you up tight against him. An absent-minded kiss was pressed to the top of your head.

 

You closed your eyes and sighed quietly.

 

…

 

Jeff lingered on your doorstep when he walked you home _much_ later that night, his hands firmly shoved into his pockets. “I uh...I just wanted to thank you. Y'know, again. For um. For comin' out with us tonight.” He mumbled, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the ground. “You didn't have to, nobody knows better n' me that you didn't have to.”

 

“Jeff, I'm glad I went.” You said gently.

 

His head jerked up and he fixed you with a startled look. “You...you are?”

 

“It _was_ quite the spectacle. You and Matt are an impressive team.”

 

“We been workin' together most of our lives, I sure as hell hope so.” Jeff grinned. His smile faded after a minute, replaced by something more serious. “Listen, I meant what I said earlier about the um...the weight stuff. If you want I could ask Matt, or you could talk with him. A lot of times when I would start t' plummet I wouldn't be in my right mind so I don't recall a lot of it.” He admitted. You nodded, wondering to yourself what had gone on in their household. “Well uh, I know Matt an' I will be gone tomorrow night but after that we should be home sporadically. I...anytime you wanna' drop in just to see Reb and Maxel she'll probably welcome you with open arms.” He said quietly.

 

“I'll keep that in mind, thank you.” You replied.

 

Jeff huffed out a nervous breath and then bowed deeply, one hand resting in the small of his back like he was some kind of dandy. You couldn't keep from giggling and that seemed to make him happy, if the smile he gave you was any indicator. “Have a good night, okay?”

 

You were reminded of an evening last year when you closed the door behind you and slid to sit on the floor. You didn't want to _cry_ , not exactly, but your chest ached in a way that suggested you might whether you wanted to or not.

 

You weren't sure how long you sat there before you finally got to your feet and headed to your bedroom. You checked your phone, both disappointed and relieved to see that you had no messages. On a whim, you scrolled back through your photos. You wanted to find the picture you’d taken, the one Jeff said was of him when he was very young.

 

But upon reaching where it should be in the gallery, something else had taken its place. Your brow furrowed in confusion, trying to figure out what the picture even _was_. It was dark, a large mass of orange flames licking in from the left-

 

_It’s what I had originally taken a picture of! The burning structure with Jeff at the bottom of it!_ You realized. And if the _picture_ was back to the way it should be, that must mean…

 

_Everything is in order_.

 

After you tucked yourself in for the night, you stared up at the ceiling. Through the screen in your window you could hear the nighttime sounds of the woods around you and you found your eyes slowly drifting shut.

 

A violin’s haunting melody wound into your dreams so faint you might have imagined it, accompanied by even softer strains of gentle piano. You didn’t know _how_ you knew it was Matt and Reby, but you were soothed all the same.

 

…

 

Jeff seemed hell-bent on popping in to check on you whenever he could, the now-familiar sound of his dirtbike skidding to a halt your usual soundtrack when you were out in your garden. Sometimes it was only a brief greeting, and then sometimes he stayed and helped with whatever you were doing. He made a concerted effort to inform you of when he would be leaving and when he’d be back. He and Matt apparently had to work to keep their belts from the grueling ceremony.

 

Matt and Reby made it a point now to find you when you were at work just to say hello. Señor Benjamin occasionally accompanied them to get your opinion on various garden ideas he had. It appeared Matt had been serious when he’d suggested he wanted to start a garden of his own and you did your best to pass along your knowledge.

 

Eating didn’t seem like as much of a chore anymore, as more often than not you were invited to Matt’s house for supper. It was easier when people distracted you from the fact that you were _actually_ eating, Matt quieting the nagging doubts that you were eating too much by declaring that you looked like you needed more green beans.

 

You were surprised the first time he and Reby displayed their musical talents after dinner, but even more surprised when Jeff hesitantly took the guitar his brother gestured to and added his own melody to their tune. Maxel seemed to love dancing to the music his parents and uncle made, no matter what the cadence or subject matter, and you found yourself the little boy’s official dance partner on more than one occasion. He had finally overcome his wariness around you, commonly demanding to be picked up with a firm, “ _Uppy!_ ”

 

The nights would usually end with Maxel sound asleep on your shoulder, thoroughly exhausted from his workout. More than once the feeling of his tiny face burrowing into your shirt clenched your chest tight, and you’d have to take a few deep breaths to keep from doing something embarrassing.

 

Sometimes you caught Jeff staring at you and his nephew when the two of you interacted, the expression on his face usually a cross between pained and wistful. You wondered whether he felt the same way you did, whether his chest tightened with unimaginable longing.

 

Or if he ever woke up out of a sound sleep in a feverish state, _your_ name on his lips, whole body flushed.

 

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but a small part of you (which grew larger every day) hoped for it.

 

...

 

“Why do you always look at Maxel and I like that?” You asked out of the blue.

 

Jeff froze mid-motion, hands cupped around the base of a squat, _look-I’m-doing-my-best_ cucumber vine. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He finally replied, brushing his hands off on his jeans and then getting to his feet. “I have to…I think I heard Matt calling me.”

 

“ _How_ old are you?”

 

Jeff snickered, crouching back down beside you. “Old habits, you know. I uh, I don’t really know why I do, to be honest.” He said quietly, shifting a handful of dirt back and forth between his fingers. “It…I guess it kinda’ makes me sad. But not in a bad way? I don’t--shit, I’m explainin’ this poorly.” He sighed, plucking a small rock out of the dirt in his hands. “Makes me think about what I coulda’ had, if I wasn’t so dumb. I ain’t…I don’t mean I’m jealous a’ Matt or something, I know I got nobody to blame but myself here. It’s just…shit, seein’ you with a little kid makes me all fucked up in the feelings.” Jeff fumbled to explain. “Makes me wonder what’s gonna’ happen when somebody good comes along, treats you right an’ you have kids and they’ll be _awesome_ like you and I…” Jeff’s voice petered out, the tattooed man swallowing hard and staring at the dirt.

 

You reached out after a second, taking one of his hands in your own.

 

“Christ, I’m so sorry, I made this all kinds of fucked. You must think I’m a creep.” Jeff whispered. “Gettin’ all wound up over you with another guy’s kid in your arms, with my _brother’s_ kid in your arms. What kinda’ asshole am I, huh?” He tried to joke, ducking his head. You caught his chin, tugging it back up and making him look at you. Jeff chewed his bottom lip, doing his damnedest to avoid your eyes. “I…I’m so sorry I left the way I did. I’m sorry I ruined everythin’ and I’m sorry I’m all hung up on it.” He apologized, his words choked. He shook free of your grasp, getting to his feet again. “I’m just…I’ll go, don’t need to wreck your day with this stupid, self-pityin’ crap.”

 

You stayed kneeling in the dirt after he headed off, the rumble of his bike fading into the distance. Your mind was a mess of emotions. The part of you that seemed to be winning wanted to head after Jeff because if he was saying what you _thought_ he was saying, you were essentially on the same page.

 

_Who’s to say he won’t leave again, once he gets what he wants?_

 

You felt a bit more certain when you scoffed at that nasty little voice, the same one that chided you for being too enthusiastic about gardening and tried to get you to stay in bed on hard days. You stood, giving yourself a bracing shake before straightening out your shirt and heading for the trail. His house was separated from yours by a thick belt of trees and a crumbling stone wall that had been all but swallowed up by the woods. Jeff’s constant back and forth trips on his dirtbike had worn a smooth path into the forest floor and it was this path that you followed until you emerged onto his property.

 

Jeff was just heading inside as you made your way across his… _creatively_ trimmed lawn. “Jeff, wait! I need to talk to you!” You called.

 

He paused, the front door half-open. “Kinda’ not a great time right now.” He replied, but he didn’t close the door.

 

“I’ll be quick. Probably.” You were at the porch now and he still had the door open. “Look, all that stuff that you were saying--”

 

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. I know I wrecked shit with you. I just…I mean you asked, I figured you at least deserved the truth, y’know?” Jeff shrugged as though he was trying to brush it off. “It’s okay.”

 

“It’s really not, and I think you know it.”

 

He made a noise like he’d been punched in the stomach.

 

“I mean _really_ , Jeff, you can’t just drop that kind of bomb on me and then go sashaying back to your house for tea and fucking biscuits.” You folded your arms, doing your best to look severe. “Especially when you didn’t even give me a chance to respond.”

 

“Christ, I wish I’d never opened my fuckin’ mouth. Because this is the part where I lose you for good, ain’t it?” Jeff asked bleakly. “Where you go ‘wow Jeff, that’s fucked up!’ an’ you never talk t’ me again. And I never see you, and you fuckin’ tuck yourself away and stop eating and then one day--”

 

“You have quite the imagination.” You interrupted him, raising an eyebrow at his rambling. “But no, that’s not what I had in mind.”

 

“Well…what then?” Jeff seemed at a loss, opening the door a little bit more.

 

“May I come in?”

 

“Shit, uh, of course. I’m sorry, wasn’t tryin’ to be rude.” He opened the door fully and you maneuvered past him.

 

“Did you make all of these yourself?” You asked, distracted by the bright, abstract artwork hanging in the entryway.

 

“I…yeah. I paint a lot.” He sounded embarrassed. “I’ve always done it. Just kinda’…I like it.”

 

“Does Matt paint? Or just you?”

 

“Nah, I got the artsy genes. He got the smarts. And I can play guitar, sing.” Jeff grimaced. “Lot a’ good it does me.”

 

“You’re talented, Jeff. I mean, I’m no artist so I can’t exactly critique. But you’ve obviously put a lot of your time into this.” You gestured around you.

 

Jeff flushed at the praise, twiddling his fingers. “Matt always said I could do more. Open a gallery or somethin’. I…wait shit, you ain’t here for this. What am I gonna’ do about you?” He asked plaintively, shaking his head. “I said some heavy shit. So what’s your take on it?”

 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” You said softly. “There was more than enough of that between us. You’ve been very respectful about not pushing me even though we were intimate before, which is a refreshing change when it comes to my relationships. You also didn’t pass judgment on me for my…problem. I would say I’m sorry for punching you, though in my defense I was in a fragile emotional state.”

 

“I’m still waiting for the ‘but’.” Jeff’s smile was sad.

 

You took a deep breath. “There isn't one.” You smiled up at him, taking his hands in your own. “I think...I mean, if you're interested I would like to try again. If you're not interested, that's fine too. I like spending time with you either way.”

 

“I swear to God if I wake up right now, I...” He paused and stared down at your hands, his hands. “This is real, yeah? You'd tell me if you were a hallucination, right?” He demanded, making you snicker.

 

“Oh, definitely. No hallucinations here.” You replied.

 

Jeff tore his hands out of your grip and jerked you into a tight hug, cupping the back of your head as he held you close. “ _Fuck_.” The single, breathless swear zipped like lightning across your skin and you trembled in his arms. “I've missed you so much, darlin'.”

 

“I missed you too, Jeff.” The knot in your chest, all the negative feelings you'd bundled up, slowly started to ease. He kissed you hungrily and you eagerly returned it, your hands sliding down to tug his hips into your own.

 

Jeff moaned into your mouth when you moved your hips, finally breaking the kiss. “ _Christ_ , like I was made for you.” He panted, glancing down. “You remember.”

 

“Mmm, yeah.” You breathed, watching as he rocked his pelvis up. “I'm not as thin as I used to be.” You didn't know why you said _that_ , of all things. Talk about a mood breaker, what the _hell_ were you thinking? _It's true though, what if he's disgusted by how big I am now?_

 

Jeff suddenly looked worried, hands raising to cup your face. “Hey, I ain't got a problem with you as long as you're in my arms. No matter _what_ size you are, got it?” He said seriously, his eyes searching your own. “You're beautiful. No ifs, ands or buts, an' anyone who says otherwise, _includin_ ' the jerky voice I'm assuming is loud in your ears right now, tellin' you that you ain't hot stuff, can get _fucked_.” He growled, his voice deepening on the last word. “Now, I'd like to continue never forgetting you, and showing you just how pretty I _know_ you are, and explainin' how much I need you. If uh, if you're amenable.”

 

You weren't able to keep from smiling, nodding eagerly and dashing away the few tears that had managed to sneak out. “Well, you know me, Jeff. I'm _never_ against you continuing to talk about how great I am.” You teased, making him laugh.

 

He hoisted you up to sit on his hips, peppering your neck with light, playful kisses as he moved down the hall. “Missed you. Missed this too, but _Christ_ , did I miss you.” He said softly, disentangling the two of you so he could open the door to what you correctly assumed was his room. It also seemed to double as his studio; there was an easel with a half-finished canvas on it set up by the window. “Come lay down with me, huh?” His words were gentle, followed by a grateful sigh when you took his hand and led him to the bed.

 

“On your back.” You ordered, loving how his eyes widened slightly. “Shirt off.”

 

“Jesus _Christ_ that's hot. Will fucking do.” Jeff almost lost his footing trying to get out of his shirt when his knees bumped the end of his bed. “Shit, shit shit hang on.”

 

“How do you manage to be the most graceful thing I've ever seen at the top of a ladder, but when it comes to good ol' terra firma you're like a newborn giraffe?” You asked, making him snort with laughter even while he was still fighting with his shirt.

 

“Listen, _you_ make me all gangly. I don't know if it's appealing or not but it's the truth.” Jeff protested. “I am a fuckin' _Swanton_ _master_ until you come along an' make me forget how to walk right.” He laid down, finally divested of his shirt, and made a grabbing motion at you. “Luckily, now I'm on my back and I don't have to worry about walkin' down here.”

 

You shook your head, moving quickly to straddle him. Jeff looked startled but seemed to get over it, judging from the needy, begging whimpers of “ _darlin_ '” that were only half-caught in his throat. His hands dug into your hips and you felt the swell of his cock pressing up against you through layers of clothing.

 

“Never thought this would happen again.” He murmured, carding his fingers through your hair while you kissed his neck and collarbone. “It's a goddamn miracle that you're even here right now and I will fuckin' take it, I will _definitely_ fucking take it. I've had dreams like this, about you bein' here on top of me but they all ended the same.” He groaned when you rose up on your knees, words tumbling out of his mouth as you yanked down the zipper on his pants. “Ended with me wakin' up in an empty bed, in an empty _fuckin'_ house, like you did when I left, an' I know I deserved every _fucking_ dream, every _fucking_ time.”

 

“Mmhm, at least a couple of them.” You agreed, shoving his pants and boxers down out of the way. You carefully stood, balancing on the bed over him with one hand on the wall so you could undo your own shorts and step out of them. The sound that tore free of Jeff's mouth was the best noise you'd heard in your life, half-snarl, half-whine. It made your knees a little weak and your legs shook, threatening to dump you in a graceless heap on top of him.

 

“Oh darlin', _darlin'_ , look at you. Just... _fuck_ , darlin', you're not even close to bein' fair.” Jeff slammed his head back against the mattress, hands balled into fists in the blankets underneath him. “ _Can't_ handle it. Need you. I need you, I _need_ you, please, please please.” He begged so sweet, moaning out when you obliged and wrapped a hand around the base of his cock, sinking slowly down onto him. You were so wet the motion was almost too easy, your body humming in feverish delight as you took every inch of his cock until you were finally seated on his hips.

 

“This alright?” You gasped. Jeff's response was to grab a handful of your shirt and drag you down practically nose-to-nose with him, his other hand jerking your sports bra out of the way so he could fondle your breasts.

 

“Oh, this is  _ way _ better than alright. You just keep fuckin' those hips down onto me and we are  _ not _ going to have a damn problem.” Jeff said through gritted teeth, keening when you obediently shifted your body. “Yes,  _ fuck _ yes, darlin', oh my God get this fucking shirt off so I can enjoy these perfect tits.” He pleaded, words partially muffled as you kissed him. “Christ I ain't never needed anyone like this, I'm never,  _ ever _ leaving you again. Ever.  _ Never _ .” 

 

“I'll hold you to that.” You stopped moving and cupped his jaw, try to make sure he understood the gravity of the situation as your body screamed hungrily for more,  _ more _ ,  _ **more!** _

 

He _looked_ serious enough, even going so far as to take his hands off of you. “Never again.” He murmured, chuckling into the kiss you gifted him for his sincerity. “Hell or high fuckin' water, never again. The only notes I'm leaving you from now on are gonna' be dumb mushy ones that you'll find inside the refrigerator or behind the couch. Maybe some hearts in the steam on the bathroom mirror. Y'know, that kind of...uh.”  He trailed off when you pulled your shirt over your head and disposed of it, then he caught the back of your neck and cradled you to his chest. 

 

You cried out at the change of angle while his hips pistoned into you, cock dragging over your spot and your pubic mound slotted tight with his pelvis. You were barely able to move, just grinding against him and whimpering helplessly.

 

“Sounds like you're close t'  _ comin' _ , darlin'. Am I right? You gonna'  _ come _ , you gonna'  _ come _ on my  _ cock? _ ” Jeff hissed in your ear, his voice dipping low with every emphasized word. “I know you want to, I know you want to so fucking  _ do _ it, darlin' I want it,  _ God _ I need it, I need you, I need you to let go,  _ fuck _ , darlin',  _ darlin' _ -” You bit down on his shoulder in an attempt to muffle your scream when you came and Jeff made a noise that sounded suspiciously close to a sob, burying his face in your neck. “Christ, m' gonna' come, darlin' I have to pull out, I gotta'-”

 

“Come in me.” You panted, twining your fingers through his.

 

Jeff stared up at you, his whole body trembling. “Oh  _ fuck _ , darlin', I-”

 

“Please.” You added breathlessly, making Jeff groan.

 

“Fuck,  _ fuck _ , you can't just--like that?  _ Fuck _ , if you want it. If you want it. Do you want it?” He gasped, hips quivering nervously under you.

 

You nodded, pressing a kiss to his knuckles and shifting your weight from side to side. That was apparently enough to convince him as he thrust up into you once more, hard enough to rock your knees up off the bed and then came inside you with a loud groan of completion.

 

He smiled up at you, so happily that you became self-conscious, drawing back from his warm look. “What?” You asked finally, surprised when he started to laugh, actually  _ laugh _ , and he pulled your face down to his for a kiss that seemed to last for hours.

 

“Thank you. Thank you so fucking much.” Jeff sighed when you parted, his hands finding yours.

 

Tattooed roots dug deep into your soil once more, but this time you didn't feel like likening yourself to plain old dirt. No, you were a garden, flourishing now like you always should have, your skin alight with the fire of a thousand eager blossoms. You were strong and vibrant and  _ alive _ , and Jeff seemed to realize that.

 

“You're the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I'm so glad you came over.” He murmured, that goofy smile back on his face. “You uh, wanna' get dressed again? I can show you some more of my paintings or something. Play you a song, if you want.” He offered, a little shyly.

 

“I think I'd like that a lot.”

 


End file.
